Deadliest Warrior Series 1
by Volcanoran
Summary: My own matchups of Deadliest Warrior. I promise my results to be completely unbiased and with all factors possible considered. I can not promise everyone will like the results of the matchups but I am confident in the results I generate. Reviews will be appreciated.
1. Celt vs Zande

The Celt

Fierce bringers of the Iron Age to ancient Europe, who resisted the mighty Roman Empire, ransacked Rome and butchered her armies.

The Zande Warrior

Powerful African tribal fighter who fought to resist slavers and crushed enemy tribes to ensure the survival of his people.

**WHO**

**IS**

**DEADLIEST?**

**The Celt**

Lancea Spear

Longsword

Burda

Javelin (Lancea)

Armor:

Leather Jerkin, Iron helmet with cheek flaps, Oval wooden shield with iron boss.

**The Zande**

Makrigga Spear

Makraka knife

Kpinga knife

Botto Bow & Pima Arrow

Armor:

Wicker Shield

Weapons and Armor Comparison:

Mid-Range

Lancea Spear vs. Makrigga Spear

Lancea-Wavy spearhead design, with massive penetration power.

Stats: 8.5 feet long, 4.5 pounds able to fully impale a target, capable of being used as a ranged weapon.

Makrigga-Hooked spearhead, capable of tearing organs.

Stats: 7 feet long, capable of penetrating Celt armor, hooks on blades increase chance of death, and also give the weapon a disarming function.

Results: There is a lot to consider here. The Makrigga is shorter, but much more versatile than the Lancea; the hooks on the spearhead could very likely catch the body even if the initial thrust misses. The Celt armor is no defense against the spear. On the other hand, the Wicker Shield of the Zande also does not stand up to the Celtic spear, so if this warrior throws that spear at the Zande, if that weapon lands, it has a high chance of the killing blow, the only issue being accuracy. Both of these weapons are spears, both function, one can be used like a hooked weapon, the other as a ranged. I think it could go either way in this scenario, so with these two, we'll call it a draw.

EVEN

Short-Range

Longsword vs. Makraka knife

Longsword-Double-edged, rounded tip.

Stats: 3 feet long, great cutting power, hard and versatile. Capable of decapitation with one slash.

Makraka-Single-edged, shaped like a sickle.

Stats: 2 feet long. Curve makes it excellent for disarming, capable of decapitation and penetrating through lighter armor.

Results: Although the Makraka is certainly an effective weapon for the close range combat, the greater length and cutting power of the longsword is what really makes the deciding factor here.

Edge: Celt

Long-Range

Javelin (Lancea)- Wavy spearhead design, with massive penetration power, able to be thrown a fair distance.

Stats: 8.5-foot long weapon, 4.5 lbs. Range of approximately 20 yards. Not very accurate, but far more powerful than a bow.

Botto shortbow & Pima arrows-Compact, lightweight short bow.

Stats: 3 feet high frame, 2.5 lbs. Range of 50 yards, accuracy is higher, and the arrows are poison-tipped.

Results: Poison arrows are a crucial factor in this comparison. Furthermore, even though the Botto does not have significant penetration power against the Celt's shield or leather armor, it's far more likely to hit than the Javelin is and from further away, even if the Javelin is a near guaranteed kill if it hits anywhere above the waistline.

Edge: Zande

Special Weapons

Burda Club-Wedge shaped, fire-hardened wood with iron rings around the head.

Stats: 21 inches long, 2 lbs. Fast, hard-hitting weapon offset by its short reach. Capable of caving in a skull with a single swing.

Kpinga knife-Oddly-shaped blade sharpened on every side.

Stats: 21 inches long, 3.5 lbs, capable of being used in melee or as a thrown weapon.

Results: The Kpinga is the winner here. Although the burda is a fast, powerful and simple weapon, the Kpinga's capable of being used in melee or ranged combat and its ability to go around shields can be a game changer. This weapon will spell danger for the Celt. Plus, even if it misses, Zande can always go pick it up and use it as a melee weapon, or if he's carrying 2, throw one and use the other for melee. That gives you options for a tool in your arsenal.

Edge: Zande

Armor and/or Shields:

Celt-Protected by iron helmet with cheek flaps, leather Jerkin, and carries an oval-shaped tall shield with an iron boss, and is actually capable of being used as a striking weapon.

Zande-Protected only by a Wicker Shield.

Results: This decision is… obvious. The Wicker shield offers plenty of coverage but is not a sturdy defense against the kind of weapons the Celt is bringing. The Celt has an iron helmet a leather cuirass, and his shield is made of solid wood coated in leather and reinforced with an iron boss. It is also known the Celts would use this shield like a blunt weapon as well as protection.

Edge: Celt

Although the warriors are more than 2000 years apart, they are very similar fighters. The Celt has better craftsmanship with his weapons and armor, and is an organized fighter despite the legends of them. The Zande fights for the expansion of territory and in accumulation resources, therefore this battle shall take place in the plains of Central Africa where the Zande were from and spent their lives fighting. The Celts fought in various terrain all across Europe, and therefore are more likely to leave their homelands than that of the Zande. However, they never travelled to Central Africa, and therefore the terrain will be unfamiliar to them. That said, the Celt is a warrior of a cultured empire and not a warring tribe, so they are the more professional fighter of this matchup. Furthermore, the Celt will not have a War Chariot in this matchup; this is purely a duel of foot-soldiers.

Warrior statistics and X-Factors

Celt

6'0 in height, Longer reach

Armoured; slower but better protected

Painted Body; Intimidation

More Organized and Intelligent

Better diet; more energy

Fights with brute force and raw fighting skills

Unfamiliar terrain disadvantage

Cold Iron Weapons

Zande

5'9 in height, Shorter reach

Unarmoured; More Agile

Filed Teeth; Intimidation, potential harm to opponent by biting

Physically stronger

Tenacity and Devotion: Fights for his people

Toughness; spends entire life fighting and enduring the harsh climate of his home.

Skillful with entire arsenal and employs superior ranged weapons.

Inferior diet; Less energy.

Home-field terrain advantage.

Sometimes relies on Ambushing targets.

The Zande holds the advantage in Statistics and X-Factors

**_Let the battle commence_**

The Celtic warrior, carrying his full arsenal of weapons, walked over the hill of this humid, strange land, searching for any signs of life beyond. The heat was much more intense here than the Celt was used to, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. This land was strange to him, but it was rugged and wide open, nothing like the cool, wet highlands or vast forests where he was from. There was not even much animal life in sight across this field, but he had seen smoke the day before and was quite certain someone must've lived here.

But then, over the next rise, he saw a figure coming up over the hilltop, a dark-skinned man, very large, very muscular, even from this distance. Clearly he was one of the natives of this region known as an Azandeh warrior, and he did not look pleased by this intruder. This was made more so as the Celt heard this man holler loudly, his voice echoing across the plain to the Celt's ears.

A call of challenge. That is what the Celt felt that yell was. This man wanted to fight him.

The Celt's lip curled, and then he began to make his way towards the Zande warrior, his lancea gripped firmly in his right hand, shield in his left. He watched the Zande warrior closely, and then noticed the figure raising a bow, notching an arrow into place and taking aim at the Celt.

Instantly ducking behind his shield, the Celt was safe from the arrow as it came down and stuck into the shield… but it didn't even stick into the wood. The Celt saw the arrow fall down by his foot, and then looked at the shield; the arrow had not even gone through the animal hide that coated the front of the Celt's shield. A quick look at the arrow also revealed the head was small, and though pointed, clearly not made for piercing armor.

The Celt grinned, and then charged forward, letting out his battlecry as he approached. Another arrow came his way, but missed. Once more, the Zande notched his third and final arrow, taking aim, and firing. The Celt didn't get his shield up in time and the arrow met his torso; he felt a slight pinch, but nothing else. Looking down, he saw the arrow had stuck into his jerkin, but fell right out, not even drawing blood. The leather had protected him from what could have been a painful injury.

Looking up once more, the Celt saw the Zande warrior leap down from the rise, beginning to make his way towards the Celt. Flipping around his Lancea, the Celt hurled his spear with a mighty heave towards the Zande warrior, sending it whistling through the air. The Zande ducked behind his  
shield, but the spear punched right through the wicker shield with no effort. However, it did lose its trajectory somewhat and went off course, barely grazing the Zande's shoulder, but with the weapon still stuck in his shield, it was too wonky to carry now; he dropped the shield to the ground, picking his Kpinga off the rope belt around his waist.

The Celt howled in fury as he came charging at the Zande, and the African warrior hurled the Kpinga at him, the wicked weapon whistling as it sliced through the air. The Celt held up his shield just in time to stop the weapon, or so he thought; the whirling blade swerved around the edge of his shield and his arm was impale on one of the blades, forcing him to drop his shield and grab at his bleeding arm.

The Zande charged right for him, leaving him no time for respite, and so the Celt drew his longsword and waited. The Zande saw the painted warrior more up close now, all kinds of strange symbols tattooed with a bluish substance on his body were all strange and mystifying to the Zande, but he didn't let himself be stopped. He bared his teeth at the Celt, who saw the pointed fangs that lined the Zande warriors mouth.

"Nyam-Nyam!" the Zande grunted, and began repeating this over and over again, waving his weapon in front of him, further challenging the Celt.

The Celt bellowed in fury before he rushed at the Zande, swinging his sword left and right. The Zande warrior still held his spear, and jabbed it at the Celt several times, forcing the Celt to stay back to avoid the barbed spearhead of that spear, able to tell just by looking at it getting hit with it would be excruciating.

Then, the Celt leapt to the side as the spear came at him again, and he swung his sword, using the full reach of his arm landing only a glancing blow but inflicting a shallow cut across the Zande's chest; the warrior reeled back in pain, and the Celt attempted to attack again, but the Zande swept with his spear, forcing the Celt to duck. The barbs caught his sword as they clashed, pulling the weapon free from his hands.

Seeing no other choice, the Celt grabbed at the Zande's spear, and tried to wrench it free from his hands. The Zande held onto his weapon tightly, wrestling the Celt for control of the weapon. Although the Celt was bigger, the Zande was much more muscular and much stronger than the pale-skinned European. It was a fairly even contest, until the Celt kicked the Zande in the thigh, throwing off his balance, and with that the Celt yanked hard on the spear, pulling the Zande warrior off of his feet and throwing him a few meters.

Now without his spear, the Zande scrambled to his feet and drew his Makraka, while the Celt threw aside his Makrigga and then drew a wooden club from his belt, a club with iron bands coating the tip, and what seemed like the carving of a face in the pommel of the weapon. He twirled the weapon in his hand, and stanced himself in preparation. The Zande held his Makraka in a similar fashion, continuing his war chant to further aggravate the Celt.

The Celt made the next move, lashing out with his Burda, swinging it left, right, left, right, but each time, the Zande dodged, until he saw a chance to lunge forward and strike with his own weapon; the Makraka almost landed a blow on the Celt, a few feet from his neck but the Celt ducked just in time, the sharp iron whizzing through his hair, and then the Celt retaliated before the Zande could bring his weapon back around; the Burda was faster than the Makraka, and it struck the Zande warrior right in the back of the head, dazing him.

A kick in the sternum from the Celt knocked the wind out of the Zande's body, and then he brought his club down with all of his strength right onto the Zande warriors' forehead with a sickening crunch, caving in his skull.

The Celt stepped off of the warrior, and then held his weapon over his head, bellowing out in victory for all to hear.

**Winner:**

**CELT**

Ending Estimates

Celt

Lancea: 183

Lancea Javelin: 62

Longsword: 212

Burda: 68

Total: 535

Zande

Makrigga: 133

Botto & Pima: 124

Kpinga: 127

Makraka: 71

Total: 465

Explanation

This was a very close matchup.

The Zande was more used to the terrain and climate of the battlefield and employed the superior ranged arsenal, for even though the botto & pima was not completely effective against the Celt's leather torso armor, his legs, arm, and face were still potential targets, and it only took one arrow to bring the Celt down once the poison on those arrows was introduced to his system. In addition the Kpinga gave the Zande an effective boost in the fight when used as a throwing weapon. However, they weren't enough for him to win over the Celt's superior short and mid-range arsenal.

What also worked in the Celt's favor was the lack of armor on the Zande and the Wicker Shields' inability to stop any of the Celts' weapons. None of the Zande's weapons were made to combat armor, and although that didn't stop him, once the fight came to the warriors coming in reach of each other, the Zande warrior had no chance against the Celt. The Celt had greater reach with his weapons and was just a more trained fighter.

The Zande fought very well, and deserves praise, but the Celt is

**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR**


	2. Samurai vs Rajput

The Samurai

Japan's lightning fast dealer of death, master of the sword and one of history's most famous warriors.

The Rajput Warrior

Fierce weapon masters of India and protectors of her borders.

**WHO**

**IS**

**DEADLIEST?**

**The Samurai**

Katana Sword

Yumi Longbow

Naginata Polearm

Kanabo Club

Armor: Steel Lamellar and Kabuto Helmet

**The Rajput Warrior**

Khanda Sword

Chakram Flying Disk

Tabar Axe

Katar Dagger

Armor: Steel Brigandine (AKA Coat of 10,000 Nails) and Steel helmet with chain coif and round Dhal shield

Weapons and Armor comparison:

Short Range:

Katana vs. Khanda

Katana: Slightly curved sword with legendary cutting power

Stats: 30 Inches (2.5 feet), 3lbs, single-edged, two-handed, four layers of folded steel, lightweight and quick to maneuver.

Khanda: Double-edged blade flared at the tip for weight.

Stats: 36 inches (3 feet), 3.5 double-edged, one or two handed, weight concentrated towards the tip to add cutting power.

Results: Although the Khanda is a powerful weapon and is somewhat longer, the Katana is faster, and the ingenuity of the Katana's design has been proven over centuries of battle. It can cut through multiple targets in one swing, it can cut even as it's being drawn from the scabbard, and it can even be used for thrusting although not meant for that. The Khanda cannot thrust at all. Edge, Katana.

Edge: Samurai

Mid-Range:

Tabar vs. Naginata

Naginata-Curved blade atop a long wooden shaft

Stats: 7 feet, 4 pounds, lightweight, high cutting power and slight thrusting ability but ineffective against metal armour.

Tabar-Heavy axe with crescent-shaped blade and a rounded weight on the butt-end for counterbalance

Stats: 5.5 feet, 6 pounds, heavy, high chopping power, high slashing power and moderate crushing power.

Results: The Naginata is perhaps the fastest pole weapon in existence, and the samurai has been trained well in maneuvering it. However, I cannot see it being more effective; the Naginata has been shown to be ineffective against plate, chain or lamellar armor, and the Rajput happens to have armour that can resist its cutting potential. The Tabar is a heavy axe, and even if the Samurai's armour stops it, it can land just enough force it may stun the Samurai.

Edge: Rajput

Long Range:

Yumi vs. Chakram

Yumi-Longbow taller than the wielder with incredible accuracy

Stats: 7 feet tall, 2lbs, range of 250 yards, optimal range at 55 yards.

Chakram-1 foot diameter, 1lbs, range of 25 yards, optimal range of 10 yards.

Results: Not much needs to be said. The Chakram is capable of decapitation from a distance, and though the Samurai's neck is not always protected, the chance of hitting a space that narrow is very unlikely. Not to mention, the Samurai is a skilled shooter and could hit the Rajput from a much greater distance, getting off even as many as three shots before the Rajput is close enough even for one.

Edge: Samurai

Special Weapons:

Katar vs. Kanabo

Kanabo-giant wooden club riddled with iron studs.

Stats: 3 feet long, 15lbs, immense crushing power.

Katar-Punch-dagger capable of tearing flesh to shreds

Stats: 1.5 feet, 2.5lbs, capable of very swift thrusts, decent slashes, and can be used for blocking as well, and is also fairly concealable.

Results: The Kanabo is a one-hit, one-kill, and no armor is going to stop it. That said, however, the martial training of the Rajput has him engineered to be a very versatile and very agile opponent; the Kanabo is too slow a weapon to compete with that, while the Katars, they're fast, they're power, one type can even split into three blades making it capable of catching weapons and disarming the wielder, while following it up with a powerful strike. If the Samurai misses that first swing, he's in big trouble, and I think that's not too unlikely with how heavy and slow that Kanabo is.

Edge: Rajput

Armour Comparison

Steel Japanese Lamellar vs. Steel Indian Brigandine

Lamellar-45lbs, coverage on head, front and back torso, shoulders, forearms, thighs and shins. Consisting of lacquered leather with numerous steel plates laced into the leather side by side tightly together leaving little to no space between the plates. The lacings and leather give the armour the ability to take impressive impact without the wearer suffering much damage, and the angling of both the cuirass and the helmet also gives it excellent deflection power which only furthers its defensive capacity. Also effective against swords and spears, the only weakness being the waist, face, neck, back of the shins and underarms have no coverage.

Indian Brigandine-48lbs, chainmail shirt backed with leather and covered with silk, with countless steel rivets holding the three layers together, earning the armour the nickname 'coat of 10,000 nails'. The chain shirt is short-sleeved, as to not interfere with the arms, but the chainmail and silk layer extends down to the knees, forearms protected with steel manacles, and the armour is reinforced by steel dome-shaped plating over the chest and front of the legs. The armour is perfect for slashing weapons but more vulnerable to stabbing weapons or arrows, and is very little defense against blunt weapons.

Results: This is a difficult decision. The Brigandine is effective, but the Lamellar is proven to be good-all-around and is slightly lighter than the Brigandine. Even the slightest weight difference could give the Samurai an advantage. The Lamellar has fewer vulnerable points and I think there's a reason that Lamellar armour inspired modern body armour, and why the Samurai used this armour for many, many years. Both armours serve their purpose but if I had to choose, I'd pick Lamellar.

Edge: Samurai

Although both of these fighters are of the Asian Continent, neither one ever strayed far from his homeland, therefore the battle shall take place in an randomly generated located in Asia with an arid landscape, a type both warriors would have experience in, such as Samurai on Hokkaido Island or the Northwestern climate of India where the Rajput made their home. Because of this, neither warrior will gain a climate Advantage.

Warrior statistics and X-factors, starting with advantage and disadvantage

Samurai:

5'3 in height, Shorter Reach

Lighter armour; slightly faster movement

Less physical strength

Calm under pressure

Less Foreign Interaction

Trains daily and in various conditions, including while blindfolded

Calculative

Intelligent

Highly developed reflexes

Precise attacker

Practitioner of various martial arts such as Iaido, Kyudo, Bujutsu and Kenjutsu

Well fed

Highly disciplined

Rajput:

5'6 in height, Greater Reach

Heavier armour; slightly slower movement

Physically Stronger

Has much more foreign contact experience

Great combat experience

Whirling motions of fighting style make it difficult to determine the direction of the Rajput's attack

Highly Confident

Joyous in battle

Well-trained in Pata and several other martial arts

Trained to even combat multiple opponents at once

Highly aggressive attacker

Well fed

Highly Disciplined

The warriors are Even in X-Factors

**_LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE…_**

With the sun at his back, the Rajput Warrior advanced over the hill, and before him stretched the long road, where he saw his quarry. A warrior dressed in armour and carrying several weapons walked down the path, the heat of the sun above seeming to do little to hinder him, as the warrior, a Samurai he was called, seemed to also be searching the landscape for quarry. The Rajput Warrior could only assume that this Samurai knew someone was hunting him.

Just then, the Samurai seemed to notice something as he entered the shadow of the hill, and instantly he turned towards the Rajput, gazing up the hill where the warrior of India stood, watching. The Samurai dropped his Kanabo to the ground and flipped around the naginata in his hand, and stabbed it into the soil, plucking an arrow from the quiver on his back and raising his bow, notching the arrow.

The Rajput, sensing the imminent attack, instantly ducked, holding his shield up in front of him, but the arrow whizzed past him, the sunlight behind him throwing off the Samurai's aim. The warrior below did not fire a second shot, likely realizing it would be futile when his vision was obscured by the sunlight. So the Rajput, quickly surveying the area, spotted a copse of trees near the road, and ran towards them. He would ambush the Samurai there.

The Samurai knew how to fight while blindfolded, but even for him firing a bow while his vision was blurred would be nigh impossible; he was only wasting his arrows. But when he saw the Rajput warrior heading for the trees, he eagerly grabbed his naginata and kanabo and strode for the trees, ready to meet this adversary head-on.

Once the Samurai entered the trees, he quickly searched for any sign of the Rajput. The trees were fairly spread, so it left the Rajput very little in the manner of cover. In preparation, the Samurai stuck his Naginata back into the ground again and picked an arrow from his quiver, notching it and listening very carefully for any sounds.

A footstep, to the left! The Samurai turned, and there was the Rajput, who hurled something thin towards the Samurai, something emitting a whirring sound. The Samurai didn't bother to worry about what it was; he immediately ducked, and the object flew over his head, sticking into a tree branch nearby; some kind of disk weapon.

The Samurai drew back the arrow into the string of his bow and fired, the Rajput saved only by ducking behind his shield, deflecting the arrow, and then he hurled a second disk, too quickly for the Samurai to dodge. With no other way to defend himself the Samurai held up his yumi and blocked the chakram disk with it. As a result the bow was broken but the chakram was deflected and fell harmlessly to the ground. Looking at the two snapped twigs that were once his Yumi the Samurai angrily tossed his bow aside and picked up his Naginata, yelling at the Rajput before stancing himself.

Retrieving his tabar, which the Rajput had left nearby, and slinging his shield over his shoulder, the warrior of India also prepared himself as he and the Samurai slowly closed the distance between one another, each glaring into the others' eyes. The Samurai waited for the Rajput warrior to make a move, patiently watching him, and make a move he did, the Rajput lashed forward, whirling himself around and swinging the axe in his hands. The Samurai easily ducked back from the axe, but when he moved to counter-attack, the Rajput was already whirling around with a second swing, not even stopping to recover before he was turning again and swinging a second time.

The axe met the Samurai's head but deflected off of his helmet, making him stagger but otherwise doing no harm to him. He knew better than to think he'd be lucky twice, and ducked down low, heading the axe whoosh over his head a third time. Seizing the precious second he had before the Rajput would attack again, the Samurai jabbed the Rajput in his exposed side with his Naginata, throwing the Rajput off balance, and then he launched his own counter attack, performing a horizontal slash with the Naginata, catching the Rajput across the back, but immediately he followed it up; just as the Rajput turned to face him a second slash went across his chest from the opposite direction, but the third oncoming attack was blocked by the Rajput, using his axe's head to catch the naginata, he pulled hard, ripping the weapon from the Samurai's hands.

The Samurai backed away quickly, and spotted his Kanabo; immediately he went for it, before the Rajput could strike him. Gripping it with both hands the Samurai lifted it up and swung it, turning his body to add force to the swing. The Rajput tried to block the attack again only to have his axe snapped in two by the force of the Kanabo's strike. This time it was the Rajput's turn to retreat as the Samurai came at him with several swings of that enormous club, using both the muscles of his arms and that of his upper body to swing it.

But the Rajput eventually saw a chance and then leapt to the side as the Samurai came down with an overhead swing. The club missed the Rajput completely, and when the Samurai tried to recover, the Rajput had drawn his Khanda and was coming right at him, kicking the Kanabo out of his hand and following it up with a mighty swing. The Khanda struck the Samurai's arm, just below the shoulder; the only thing protecting him from dismemberment being the steel plated pauldron, but his arm felt the impact and he cringed. The Rajput, as with the tabar, spun himself in the opposite direction for his second swing with the Khanda, and the Samurai leapt back, just barely avoiding the sword.

When his second swing missed, the Rajput went to retrieve his shield, and then turned back to face the Samurai, who approached with his hand on his sword, watching the Rajput with a look of blood-thirst. The Rajput whirled his Khanda and stanced himself once more, meeting the glare of the Samurai. The two circled each other for a moment, and then the Rajput attacked first once more, swinging his Khanda in a diagonal motion. The Samurai leaned out of the way, and quick-drew his Katana, slashing the Rajput across his stomach, but the riveted chainmail held, leaving the Rajput unharmed.

However, the Samurai instantly followed up with a second swing, but was met by the Rajput's shield, and instantly the warrior performed a swing of his own, arcing over the top of his shield and striking the moon-shaped crest on the Samurai's helmet. If not for the leather threads holding the helmet on the armour would've been removed from such a blow. Instead the Samurai's head was turned painfully by the blow, but he recovered quickly, just in time to parry another spin-strike by the Rajput.

The clash of swords went on for several strikes, until finally the samurai managed to disarm the Rajput; he caught the Khanda in the hilt of his sword, and with a twist of the arms, wrenched it free from the Rajputs hand, then followed up with a slash for his neck. The strike was stopped by the chainmail coif but a crack was heard from the Rajput's collar; likely a bone had given way under the force of the strike, but not a vital one.

The Samurai drew back his sword and got ready for another strike, only to be blocked by the Rajput's shield, and then the Rajput's hand came up, gripping a katar that separated into three blades and then slipped over the samurai's katana; a flick of the wrist later and the sword was pulled out of the Samurai's hand. Before he could do anything else the Rajput lunged at him and struck him in the throat, the middle blade parting the flesh of his neck easily and impaling the Samurai's windpipe.

The Samurai's eyes went wide from the agonizing pain, and when the Rajput tore his blades free, he severed veins on either side of the neck, and the Samurai dropped, blood pouring from his wounds. The Rajput turned his back from the Samurai, swinging his katar slightly to fling off some of the blood, before he held his arm over his head and bellowed his victory call.

**Winner:**

**RAJPUT WARRIOR**

Ending Estimates:

Samurai

Katana: 137

Naginata: 113

Yumi: 217

Kanabo: 18

Total: 485

Rajput

Khanda: 115

Tabar: 184

Chakram: 22

Katar: 204

Total: 515

This was an EXTREMELY close matchup

The Rajput warrior proved victorious, but just barely. The deciding factors were the Rajput's combat experience, the stealth factor the katars, the virtually dead-even versatility and lethality of both warriors and the defensive capability of their armour. The Samurai's lamellar is effective, but the chainmail offers better coverage of vital areas, and aside from the Yumi, the Samurai's best weapons were mostly for slashing, which chainmail is meant to stop.

The Rajput also has the advantage in terms of adaptability, as the Rajput Warriors fight against foreign invaders all their lives, while the Samurai, especially those of Japan's warring states era, were much more experienced in fighting other Samurai or men of their own country, leaving little to no foreign contact. Despite this, the Samurai was still highly adaptive to fighting the Rajput allowing him to remain neck-and-neck with him most of the way, thanks to his decisive edge in both the long range and the short range, while the Rajput acceled in Medium range and Special Weapons.

The Samurai is still one of the worlds' greatest warriors, but today, the title of Deadliest Warrior goes to the Rajput.


	3. Roman Centurion vs Persian Immortal

The Roman Centurion

Master killer commander of the great Roman Armies that led the conquests of Rome for centuries.

The Persian Immortal

The terror-bringing elite warriors that carved out the largest Middle Eastern empire in history.

**WHO**

**IS**

**DEADLIEST?**

**The Roman Centurion**

Gladius Sword

Pilum Spear

Javelin (Pilum)

Dolabra Axe

Armour:

Steel Lorica Hamata platemail, bronze crested helmet and scotum shield

**The Persian Immortal**

Shamshir Sword

Persian Bow

Persian Spear

Sagaris Axe

Armour:

Bronze scale-mail with wicker shield

Weapons and Armour Comparison:

Short Range:

Gladius vs. Shamshir (Persian Scimitar)

Gladius-Steel, double-edged short sword, standard for all Roman soldiers

Stats: 2 feet in length, 3lbs, used for stab and slash, very sturdy and easily pierces flesh and light armours.

Shamshir-Iron, single-edged curved sword with a thin but razor-sharp blade.

Stats: 2.5feet in length, 3lbs, highly effective for slash, maneuverable, weak stab.

Results: This is not an easy choice. You look at the Gladius, it's not a long blade, but it can be used for both slash and stab. You look at the Shamshir, it's slash-only but it's slightly longer and has better cutting power. To decide this test, we have to think of the defense both will face, and the wicker shield and scalemail have been tested against similar weapons used by the Spartans; they failed their test. Scalemail is ineffective against thrusting weapons and the wicker shield is not meant to stop blades. Edge, Gladius.

Edge: Roman Centurion

Mid Range:

Pilum vs. Persian Spear

Pilum-Steel, needle-like spear used for throwing or melee combat.

Stats: 6.5feet, 3lbs, range of 25 yards, optimal range of 15 yards. Capable of punching through armour and sometimes shields.

Spear-Iron weapon with leaf-shaped spearhead and ball-shaped counter-weight.

Stats: 6.5 feet, 5.5lbs, capable of being used for thrusting or slashing with the spearhead and bludgeoning with the counterweight, also easy to retrieve.

Results: Although I like the Pilum for the fact it's both the Centurion's long and mid range weapon, so he doesn't have to carry as much gear, the lethality of the Persian spear and the option to use it for both blunt and thrusting attacks, that set of options to me gives the edge to the spear.

Edge: Persian Immortal

Long Range:

Pilum Javelin vs. Persian Bow & Arrow

Pilum-Steel, needle-like spear used for throwing or melee combat.

Stats: 6.5feet, 3lbs, range of 45 yards, optimal range of 20 yards. Capable of punching through armour and sometimes shields.

Bow & Arrow-Composite bow built to fire arrows over massive distances. Made of wood and sinew.

Stats: Range of 500 yards, optimal range of 35 yards.

Results: The Centurions themselves were not long-range fighters. And although the Persian Bow is not exactly the most accurate of long-range weapons, the greater distance means there's a good chance he can hit the Centurion long before he can get in range to use the Pilum. Edge to the Persian again.

Edge: Persian Immortal

Special Weapons:

Dolabra vs. Sagaris

Dolabra-Pick-axe designed to tear up rock or pierce through armour

Stats: 30 inches, 4 lbs, heavy axe, capable of breaking rock with the pick-end.

Sagaris: Light-weight axe with a small blade on one side and a penetrating spike on the other.

Stats: 30 Inches, 2 lbs, maneuverable and easy to wield

Results: I like both of these axes. The Sagaris is faster, it's lighter, it functions in a similar manner to the dolabra, but the dolabra is just more powerful and it's the exact same length. All it all it's going to come down to the skills of the wielders and whoever can just land that blow and I can't see either one of these men not achieving that.

Edge: EVEN

Armour Comparison:

Lorica Segmentata and Scotum shield vs. Persian Scale-mail and wicker shield

Lorica Segmentata-35lbs including with helmet, covers torso and shoulders, paired with vambraces for forearms, greaves for the shins and crested bronze helmet with check flaps for the head. Effective against slashing, stabbing weapons and arrows, vulnerable in the middle front do to fastenings being there and vulnerable to blunt weapons, but moderately flexible. Paired with Scotum shield; solid, wooded, half-cylinder shield banded with Iron or Bronze and reinforced with a ramming iron boss in the center of the shield, standing 4 feet high giving the Centurion great coverage.

Persian Scalemail-30lbs, covering torso, front and back, and shoulders with overlapping scales of bronze or iron, backed by lacquered leather covering all areas the scales did not. Highly effective against slashing and blunt weapons but ineffective against thrusting weapons. Paired with Wicker shield that, although virtually weightless, was more of a barrier to stop advancing troops than an actual defense.

Results: I don't think there's even a need do debate. The Persian Immortals could not stand up to the Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae Pass in the Bronze age, and that was entirely because neither their shields nor their armour stopped anything the Spartans had. The Romans have the much more advanced armour and shield, and in conquering Greece, including Sparta, they succeeded where the Persians failed because of these tools.

Edge: Roman Centurion

Both of these warriors conquered massive lands, but Persia was primarily confined to the hot deserts of the Middle East, and that is the place where if these two warriors met, they would likely fight. Although the Roman Empire expanded into Egypt and other places Persia may have conquered in its time, the Persian Immortal will just be much more versed to desert warfare. Because of this, the Persian Immortal gains a slight terrain advantage.

Warrior statistics and X-factors

Centurion:

5'8 in height

Trained and experienced professional fighter

Carrying less gear; moves quicker

Superior craftsmanship of equipment

Versatile Arsenal

Vast experience in combat

Various Terrain Experience

Persian Immortal not similar to any opponent Centurions faced

Tactical Prowess

Well-fed

Highly disciplined

Strict nature

Unfamiliar fighting alone

Fierce devotion and loyalty to Rome

Immortal:

5'8 in height

Home-field advantage

Centurion shares similarity to Greek Hoplite, common enemy of the Persians

Well-trained professional fighter

Combat Experience

Carrying more gear; moves slower

Versatile arsenal

Poorer diet

Less combat experience than Centurion

Unfamiliar fighting alone

Unwavering fealty to Persia

The Centurion has the advantage in X-Factors

_**Let the battle commence…  
**_

Marching over the dune, the Persian left behind his chariot, knowing the terrain would be unsuitable for it; the sand here could be rather soft, and the horses and chariot could get bogged down in the sand. But his target should not have been far now. The Persian Immortals had been dispatched to scout out the area of territory recently taken from them by an enemy nation, The Roman Empire. They had taken the northern banks of the Nile river and the surrounding areas, and the King wanted them stopped.

Reaching the top of the dune, his quarry was in sight, knelt down by the Nile River drinking from the water. A Roman Legionnaire, it looked like… no, it was someone else. The horizontal crest of the helmet lying next to the soldier told the Persian Immortal that his target was no mere Roman Legionnaire, but a Centurion.

What honour it would bring him in the eyes of his king if the Immortal were to dispatch this elite veteran by himself! Not even stopping to reconsider, he stuck his spear into the dune and set down his shield, picking up his bow & quiver, then proceeding to notch an arrow.

The Centurion, oblivious to the imminent attack, pulled his head back from the water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then stood up. As he did, something whizzed past his head and went into the water, instantly alerting the Centurion that he was under fire! He quickly dove for his equipment, putting up his shield and ducking behind it as he adorned his helmet and belted his weapons. Picking up his pilum he slipped his hand through the arm band of his scotum shield and gripped the handle, standing up slowly and daring to look over the top of the shield to search for his assailant.

He looked up just in time for another arrow to ping off of the boss of his shield, and followed its trajectory towards the north, where he spotted a figure standing atop the dune with a bow in hand. One of the Persian King's elite forces, the Persian Immortals, likely either out on patrol or sent to probe the border for weaknesses, and it was the Centurion's misfortune that this Immortal found him while he was away from his unit.

But he would not be intimidated by this so-called 'immortal'.

He charged for the hill, moving as quickly as possible but keeping his shield in front of him to deflect any oncoming arrows. As he ran, three such arrows struck his shields, one imbedded itself into the wood but the other two bounced off of the thick front of the scotum. He reached the hill, pilum in hand, and scaled the dune to reach his opponent.

The Immortal was down to his last arrow; taking aim, he fired again, and this time the arrow struck the Centurion's helmet and caused him to stumble; he fell onto his back and then rolled down the hill slightly, painfully hurting his shoulders as the pauldrons of his armour were pushed into his arm. But aside from a slight bruising he escaped unscathed, and was on his feet just in time as the Persian came down the hill, carrying a spear and wicker shield.

The Centurion quickly got to his feet, his shield still in hand but he'd lost his pilum in the fall. Quickly, he located it behind him and picked it up, stancing himself just in time as the Immortal reached him. The Persian held his shield in front of him and elevated his spear into one of the grooves of the shield located in the center, the tip aimed right for the Centurion. The Centurion had taken a stance that reminded the Persian of the Spartan Hoplite; standing with his shield out in front and his spear held against the side ready to thrust.

The two circled each other in those positions for several moments, meeting one another's gaze, until finally the Persian made the first move, rushing for the Centurion and jabbing with his spear. The weapon met his opponent's shield, and the Centurion countered with a jab of his Pilum, which actually punctured through the shield of the Persian Immortal, but missed his arm. The Centurion pulled the spear back out, with little resistance.

The Persian quickly backed up to gain some distance and reassess his strategy, but the Centurion flipped around his Pilum and hurled it at the Persian. Instinctively the Immortal ducked behind his shield but as before the weapon punched through the Immortal's wicker shield and threw him off balance. With the weapon still stuck in his shield he was forced to discard it, and gripped his spear with two hands. That superior craftsmanship of the Centurion's shield was going to pose a problem, but the Persian had fought warriors with much tougher shields than his before.

The Centurion drew his Dolabra next and held it in a ready position for a slash as soon as the Immortal let his guard down. The middle-eastern warrior had the greater reach now, though; using his spear with both hands, and the Centurion down to an axe half the length of it, he'd have to time his strike carefully or he'd leave an opening.

The Persian jabbed his spear at the Centurion several times, trying to draw him into a counter-attack. Eventually the Centurion complied, and after blocking the spear again, deflecting it to the right, he brought up his dolabra to strike. But this is exactly what the Persian wanted him to do. By parrying the spearhead with his shield, the Centurion had moved for a counter-blow, only to left his right-hand side unguarded, and the Persian then turned and bashed the Centurion in the side with the counter-weight of his spear, denting the warrior's cuirass and causing him stumble. As a result his axe missed the Persian, and then he was struck in the face by the spear's shaft, causing him to stumble back slightly.

His helmet the only thing that had saved him from being dazed too badly, the Centurion was able to quickly bring his shield back up to defend himself from the imminent strike, and sure enough he felt the Persian's spear jab into the front of his shield again, this time sticking into the wood. The Centurion seized that precious second to swing his Dolabra down and strike the shaft of the spear with the axe-blade, splitting it in two.

His spear now broken, the Persian Immortal dropped his broken weapon and backed away from the Centurion before he could swing his dolabra again. Quickly the Persian Immortal lifted his Sagaris axe from his belt and held the handle with both hands. The Centurion came at him again, swinging the axe from the Persian's right, but he met the strike with his axe and, hooking the Dolabra with it, he disarmed the Centurion, spun himself and struck the side of the scutum shield, which not only opened the Centurion's guard, the force of the blow threw him off balance, and the Persian Immortal seized the precious second to then bring his axe down, spiked-end first, on the Centurions' shield-arm. The thin plates of the Segmentata armour's pauldron caved under the strike and punctured the Centurion's left arm.

Growling in pain the Centurion grabbed at his Gladius with his good arm, and spun around as he drew it, knocking the Sagaris from the Immortal's hand, and then swinging again, the blade striking the scales of the Immortal's cuirass, but not breaking through. The Immortal kicked the Centurion back and drew his Shamshir, stancing himself in readiness for his now shield-less opponent.

The two clashed blades several times, steel meeting iron as they continued fighting, and overtime the Immortal managed a slash across the Centurion's chest, and followed it up immediately with a slash for his head. Both strikes were stopped by his cuirass and helmet, and in the second swing, he'd left his lower body exposed.

As the Persian Immortal brought the Shamshir around for a third swing, the Centurion thrust his gladius forward, the tip meeting the rim of one of the scales and slipping to the seam between the two, forcing its way between the metal plates and to the leather underneath, and through that to the Immortal's chest. The middle-eastern felt the bite of the weapon pierce his flesh and stop at his ribs. He tried to counter-attack but the Centurion brought up his left hand and stopped the Persian's swing, before twisting his sword so the blade was horizontal and thrusting again.

Now the blade thrust between the ribs, and into the Immortal's heart. The Centurion pulled his Gladius back out as the Persian Immortal's mouth filled with blood, and he collapsed to the ground, dying in seconds.

The Roman Centurion looked down upon his defeated opponent for a moment before using the Immortal's sleeve to clean his sword off and sheathing it. With that he collected the rest of his equipment and left behind the corpse of the so-called 'Immortal'.

**Winner:**

**ROMAN CENTURION**

Ending Estimates:

Centurion

Gladius: 253

Pilum: 76

Pilum as Javelin: 105

Dolabra: 136

Total: 570

Persian Immortal

Shamshir: 88

Spear: 121

Composite Bow: 107

Sagaris: 114

Total: 430

Victory to the Roman Centurion

In this matchup, what worked in the favour of the Roman Centurion was the far superior design of his armour and shield, giving him a stalwart defense against nearly all of the Persian Immortal's weapons. His best weapon by far was his main weapon, the Gladius, which with its versatility and penetrating power made it highly effective against the Persian Immortal's scale-mail, as well as that of the Dolabra with its greater penetration and cutting power, although it was not ahead of the Sagaris by much. The Lorica Segmentata proved especially effective against the Shamshir, since we all know Slashing weapons are ineffective against shields and plate armours and the Centurion had the best of both worlds.

In addition to his armour what worked against the Persian Immortal was his weak shield and the vulnerability of the scale-mail to piercing weapons. Also what worked against him was the inaccuracy of his bow at larger distances; by the time he could accurately shoot the Centurion, his opponent was already in range to use his own ranged weapon. However, what worked in the Persian's favour was the similarity to the Greecian Hoplite which the Persian Immortal's fought numerous times, as well as the versatility of his spear, which was the only weapon in his arsenal that the Roman Centurion's armour could not defend against, but it wasn't enough for the Immortal to win.

Neither the Persian nor the Roman were accustomed to battling alone, but in a one on one contest, the Centurion has a slight edge in both equipment and combat experience, and so the Roman Centurion has earned the title of Deadliest Warrior here today.


	4. Legendary: Hattori Hanzo vs Shaka Zulu

Shaka Zulu

Legendary warrior chieftain of the Zulu tribe in southern Africa, who revolutionized warfare in Africa and created a massive army

Hattori Hanzo

Famous warrior of Japan's Sengoku Era, helping the Tokugawa Shogunate in their conquest of Japan through the ways of both Warrior and Assassin, earning himself the name 'Devil Hanzo'

**WHO**

**IS**

**DEADLIEST?**

**Note: History and Culture indicate Hanzo was trained as both a Samurai and a Ninja, and as a result, he shall carry a mixed arsenal of both fighters consisting of weapons he may have or actually used. I hope you appreciate the effort and research I must take in order to fully assess a fighter who never actually appeared in the series against one who did.**

**Shaka Zulu**

Iklwa Spear

Iwisa Club

Zulu Axe

Poison Spit

Armour: Ishlangu cow-hide shield

**Hattori Hanzo**

Yari (Long-bladed Spear)

Shuriken (Throwing Star)

Ninjato Sword

Black Eggs

Armour: None

Weapons and Armour Comparison:

Medium Range:

Iklwa spear vs. Yari

Iklwa-short spear designed for melee combat.

Stats: 2.5 feet long, 1.5 lbs, iron-tipped with wooden shaft. Capable of being used for stabbing or slashing. Highly versatile.

Yari-Spear with long narrow blade, said to be a variation of the Naginata

Stats: 6 feet long, 4 lbs, steel-tipped with hardwood shaft coated in lacquered bamboo making the shaft extremely sturdy.

Results: In this case I think 'volumes speak results'; the Iklwa spear is fast as lightning in the hands of Shaka Zulu but it is not very powerful and is much, much shorter than the Yari. If Hanzo can keep Shaka Zulu at the distance of the Yari, then he will have no chance to attack Hanzo. Edge, Yari.

Edge: Hattori Hanzo

Long-Range:

Iwisa vs. Shuriken

Iwisa-Knobbed, top-heavy club useful for melee or ranged combat

Stats: 2 feet long, weighing only 1 pound. Fast, light, and hard-hitting when thrown, plus easy to retrieve.

Shuriken-Four pointed metal stars that always strike point-first.

Stats: 4 inches in diameter, 2 ounces, made of steel. Can be held between the fingers, and a trained fighter could throw more than one at a time.

Results: Although the shuriken bring a concealment factor, I can't give them the edge. They are not as lethal as most people think, solely for the reason that they have to absolutely land a lethal strike, and the only place where there is a vital area shallow enough for a lethal strike is the neck, but because of their spinning, it's easy for them to lose trajectory. But Shaka's got his shield, and seeing the killing potential of the iwisa I have to lean towards the weapon with more  
killing potential.

Edge: Shaka Zulu

Short range:

Zulu Axe vs. Ninjato

Zulu Axe-Iron axe with v-shaped head and hardwood shaft

Stats: 2.5 feet, 3 lbs, high cutting power and fairly versatile.

Ninjato-Also known as Shinobigatana, short tempered steel blade designed to slash or stab.

Stats: 19 inch blade, 10 inch handle, 2 lbs, very fast and versatile.

Results: This is actually a tough decision to make, because even though the Zulu Axe is fairly primitive compared to the Ninjato, we have to look at how these were used. This axe is also paired with a shield that might still be able to stop the Ninjato's cut which could give Shaka the chance to counter-attack. Shield and weapon; simple but has been effective for centuries.

Edge: Shaka Zulu

Special Weapons:

Spit of Poison vs. Black Eggs

Poison Spit-Toxic berries or liquid solutions held in the mouth and spat in the faces of opponents. Causes severe burning sensation on the eyes and skin

Black Eggs-Hollowed out eggs filled with crushed glass, easily concealed and hurled into the eyes of opponents. Causes agonizing cutting in the eyes.

Results: It's hard to decide between these. Neither one is meant to be lethal, really; they're more of a distraction tool. So to decide these we have to assess all of their properties. To use the crushed glass you have to crush the egg first and then hurl it at your opponent. To use the poison spit, you have to get in very close to the person. If you crush the egg in your hand your opponent might see it coming, but a person can only spit so far. I say, draw.

EVEN

Armour comparison:

Only Shaka Zulu carries any sort of defense; a shield. The edge automatically goes to him.

Edge: Shaka Zulu

Hanzo Hattori fought all across Japan, including in its arid climates, but Shaka Zulu spent all of his life in Africa's hot, merciless climate. To make this battle realistic they will fight in an arid climate, but the greater familiarity of such conditions gives Shaka Zulu a terrain and climate advantage.

Warrior statistics and X-factors

Shaka Zulu

5'7 in height; longer reach

Physically stronger

Terrain Advantage

Quick-footed

Pain tolerance

Superior Defense

Deceptive

Highly Athletic

Greater mobility

Mildly Organized

Lighter weapons; faster on the strike

Savage fighting style

Poorer diet; less energy

Inferior Equipment

Hanzo Hattori

5'3 in height; shorter reach

More intelligent

Physically weaker

Highly agile

Quick-footed

Precise attacker

Stealthy

Deceptive

Highly Organized

Professional fighting style

Martial Arts Training

Trains daily, including fighting blind

Superior Equipment

Well-fed; more energy

Inferior Defense

Highly fickle by nature

Hanzo has a significant edge in X-Factors

**_Let the battle commence…_**

Shaka strode across the field, weapons in hand, noon sun in the sky at the height of its brutality, but being so familiar with such a climate it did little to hinder the warlord. On and on he strode, and in the distance he saw a cluster of trees less than a kilometer ahead, and continued on his way towards them. Perhaps he could find game there for his meal that evening.

As he strode into the shadows of the forest, he is unaware of a pair of eyes watching him from the trees above, as still as an owl on the hunt as the warlord passed under him, and making no sound as the shadowy figure dropped from the trees to the ground floor, and began to follow after him. Hattori Hanzo, armed and ready, pursued his target, intent on catching him.

After several moments of running, though, it became clear he was not going to catch the athletic warlord. He was quick, and showed no sign of slowing down. Once they came to a clearing, Hanzo saw no other option; he stopped, sticking his yari into the ground and producing a Shuriken. With a flick of his wrist he hurled the four-pointed projectile towards the African warrior.

The shuriken only grazed his arm, but Shaka most certainly felt it when the blade whizzed across his flesh and hit the back of his shield. Immediately he whirled around, shield raised, and sure enough a second projectile was inbound; it stuck into the hard ox-hide leather of his ishlangu, and slid out, dropping to the ground. Shaka spotted his attacker, and, with an angry bellow, he ran back, heading for the dark-clothed warrior.

Hanzo, realizing he'd been compromised, quickly grabbed his Yari and hurried back for the shadows of the trees, vanishing behind a larger one and leaping up to the branches. Shaka was hot on his tail, but once he cleared the tree, he did not find his opponent, and quickly looked around for any sign of him, but he'd lost him.

Hanzo, deathly still in the tree above, watched the African warrior in silence, waiting for his chance. Shaka began to walk away, leaving the tree behind. Hanzo, knowing he couldn't let the African warlord start running again, stepped along the branch, producing his last Shuriken and taking aim with it, not intent of missing this time…

_Snap!_

Hanzo's heart skipped a beat; he'd broken a branch he'd grasped.

Shaka stopped dead in his tracks and spun around, looking up into the canopy, and spotting his target. Hanzo raised his hand to fling his shuriken but Shaka moved first, hurling his Iwisa with all of his might towards the shinobi. Hanzo had no choice but to abandon his hiding place; he sprang from the branch and dropped to the ground below as the Iwisa struck the trunk of the tree aubibly before falling to the ground as well. Hanzo quickly fled as Shaka chased, the African warlord quickly grabbing his earlier thrown club before resuming the pursuit, running as fast as he could.

Shaka proved the faster runner of the two, for he was in range to hurl his club again in less than a moment, and did so. The wooden club whipped through the air audibly, and fearing getting struck Hanzo stopped and ducked down, hearing the club whiz over his head and struck a tree ahead of him. Shaka was too close for him to escape into hiding again now; his only option was to face him head-on now.

Brandishing his Yari, Hanzo turned and faced the African Warlord. Shaka brandished his Iklwa spear and kept his Zulu axe through the loop of his grass skirt for when he'd need it, leaving his left hand free to hold his shield, he faced his opponent, intent on killing him. Hanzo, his face all but concealed by his hood, met Shaka Zulu's gaze with equal fearlessness, ready for any attack.

The two circled each other for a moment, but it was Hanzo who made the first move, thrusting forth his spear, but moving back immediately from Shaka before he could counter, then following it up with a slashing motion, using the long blade of the spear to his advantage. He maneuvered the weapon fluidly, creating a circle of death in front of him, and because of its superior reach, Shaka could not get close.

Shaka finally saw his chance and rushed inside the reach of the Yari, blocking it with his shield as the shaft came back around, and jabbing his Iklwa forth, but Hanzo moved just in time, suffering only a graze from the spear. Hanzo countered by kicking Shaka right in the chest, knocking him onto his back, and then following it up with a chopping motion from the spear, but Shaka Zulu rolled out of the way and sprang back to his feet. He blocked Hanzo's next swing with his spear and then ducked under it, shoving it over him. Hanzo swept for him again, only for Shaka to block the spear once more with his shield and stab for Hanzo again, but as before the ninja leapt back from the short weapon, and performed a sweeping strike going low, forcing Shaka Zulu to jump back to avoid having his legs cut off. But the lightweight Yari made it each for Hanzo to follow up with a strike from the other direction, lunging forward as he swung and knocking Shaka Zulu's Iklwa from his hand.

Knowing this was getting nowhere, Shaka turned and ran from the ninja, quickly reaching into the animal stomach pouch on his belt as he ran and taking out several berries, popping them into his mouth and gnawing on them as he ran, until he came to a stop and turned; he needed to get Hanzo closer. Drawing his axe, he readied himself.

Hanzo, gripping his spear with both hands, readied to attack Shaka Zulu again, but as he thrust his spear forward, Shaka swung his axe, parrying it aside and darting forward, and spat. A vapour of poisoned saliva erupted from his mouth, catching Hanzo off guard and striking his eyes, blinding him! Despite the burning, his training came into effect, and he immediately spun himself, sweeping with his spear to force Shaka Zulu to back off, but in doing so, Shaka blocked the spear with his shield and axe, and with a twist of his wrists, he pulled the Yari from Hanzo's hands.

Rubbing one eye, Hanzo turned and ran from Shaka, trying to get at least a slight distance he tried to clear one eye. It seemed that barely any poison got into his right eye, but it still stung. He opened it slightly and, working as best he could with blurry vision, kept running. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a black egg, crushed it in his fist, and turned to face the oncoming African.

Relying not just on his blurred vision but also his hearing, Hanzo waited, and at just the right moment he lunged forward, swept his arm through the air with his palm open, hurling the crushed glass into the air. Shaka Zulu, completely not expecting the attack, felt the powdery substance go into his eyes, and immediately his eyes hurt agonizingly. Hanzo seized the second and drew his Ninjato, rushing forward and, with a mighty thrust, stabbed his blade right through Shaka Zulu's neck, and then pulled out, followed by a slash across his stomach, utterly disemboweling him.

Shaka Zulu stood there, an astonished look on his face, before he fell to the floor, bleeding profusely from his neck and belly, he died in a matter of seconds. Hattori Hanzo wiped off his sword on his robe and slid it back into its scabbard, once more rubbing his still burning eyes, he turned and, after retrieving his yari, fled into the shadows of the trees, leaving behind the defeated Shaka Zulu

Winner:

**HATTORI HANZO**

Hattori Hanzo

Yari: 436

Shuriken: 44

Ninjato: 181

Black Eggs: 0

Total: 661

Shaka Zulu

Iklwa: 113

Iwisa: 45

Zulu Axe: 187

Spit of Poison: 0

Total: 339

Hattori Hanzo wins decisively

Unfortunately for Shaka Zulu, Hattori Hanzo had every possible advantage in this battle. Better training, better technique, and the better arsenal. The superior reach and damage potential of Hanzo's favorite weapon, the Yari, scored the most kills of any weapon we've seen so far. Not only was it longer than any of Shaka Zulu's weapons, its high maneuverability combined with Hattori Hanzo's professional training and its ability to break through Shaka Zulu's shield made it a perfect killing tool for our ninja warrior. Furthermore, Hanzo's use of highly unconventional stealth tactics made him even more unpredictable in the battle, for the ninja were legendary in their use of stealth and assassination, and there is a good reason they rose to such a rank.

Shaka's inferior arsenal along with his primitive fighting style worked against him. Although his Spit of Poison was capable of blinding Hanzo in the battle, it's commonly known that Samurai train for multiple conditions, including blindness, and nobody expects their opponent to be capable of fighting without the use of their sight, adding more to the factor of deception. This kind of training rendered the Spit of Poison useless. After that it came down to Hanzo's speed and precision when he struck his opponent. Shaka himself was not trained to fight blind, only endure pain, and it takes more than that to win the day.

The undoubted winner today is Hattori Hanzo; he is our DEADLIEST LEGENDARY WARRIOR.


	5. Spartan vs Knight

The Spartan

The unstoppable bronze-clad warrior from ancient Greece, who fought their way into history awash in the blood of the Persian Empire.

The Knight

The Steel-Clad Crusader of Medieval Europe who spread the word of God by steel and brute strength.

WHO

IS

DEADLIEST?

**Spartan**

Dory Spear

Heavy Javelin

Xiphos Sword

Hoplon shield

Armour:

Bronze Musculata cuirass with crested helmet, vambraces and greaves

**Knight**

Halberd

Crossbow

Broadsword

Heater shield

Armour:

Steel platemail with full coverage, including helmet, gauntlets, leggings and pauldrons and backed by Chainmail

Weapons and Armour Comparison:

Medium Range:

Dory vs. Halberd

Dory-Basic spear with iron-tip, primary weapon of the Spartan.

Stats: 8 feet, 4 lbs, with iron tip and bronze butt-spike also usable for killing, massive thrusting power and minor slashing power.

Halberd-Multi-functional weapon, considered one of the worlds' greatest before the invention of Gunpowder.

Stats: 7-feet, 4.5 lbs, steel blade and spear-tip with hook on back, exceptional stab, thrust and versatility.

Results: Anyone else would immediately say Halberd, but when you look at these two weapons, you see plenty of differences. Sure the Halberd is more advanced, but the Dory is longer. The Dory is a simple and effective tool but the halberd is versatile. But the big game changer, the Spartan uses his spear in combination with his shield, so he's attacking while still defending and the halberd cannot penetrate the shield. That said, the dory is also less than effective against the knights' armour. Since neither of these carries a significant advantage against the other, we'll call it even.

EVEN

Long Range:

Heavy Javelin vs. Crossbow

Javelin-Shortened spear used to impale oncoming enemy soldiers. Larger and denser iron tip than Light Javelin; better against armoured opponents.

Stats: 3 feet long, 1.5 pounds, 3.5 inches of penetration.

Crossbow-Powerful handheld weapon capable of penetrating armour at long distances.

Stats: 2 feet long, 3 pounds, steel lathe, compact frame. Range of 200 yards, optimal range of 50 yards, but is slow to reload.

Results: This is not a hard decision. A javelin will not be effective against the knight; the likelihood of a lethal blow is very slim, unless it hits the neck or under the arm. And the Javelin barely pierces the knights' armour, and doesn't even come close to hitting the body, leaving the knight unharmed. The crossbow can defeat almost ANY armour. Edge, Crossbow

Edge: Knight

Short range:

Xiphos vs. Broadsword

Xiphos-Short but powerful blade able to thrust through bodies and hack of limbs

Stats: 16 inches, 2lbs, iron blade, massive penetration power and high slashing power, offset only by its lack of reach.

Broadsword-Dense, lengthy blade of tempered steel, and the primary weapon of the knight.

Stats: 40 inches, double-edged, 5lbs, capable of slash, stab or bludgeon with blade or pommel, and usable with 1 or 2 hands.

Results: The broadsword is clearly the better tool here. Although the Xiphos is powerful and fast, the broadsword is as much capable of crushing the Spartan's armour as it is cutting flesh with enough impact. Edge, Broadsword.

Edge: Knight

Shields:

Hoplon Round shield vs. Heater Kite shield

Hoplon-Massive shield, and the Spartan's primary defense and in many cases, their most powerful weapon.

Stats: 24lbs, 4feet in diameter, bronze front, 2 layers of wood, with a layer of leather in between and on the back; massive absorption power and capable of stopping slashing or stabbing weapons.

Heater-Also known as a small kite shield, usable as a punching or bashing weapon as well as a barrier.

Stats: 17lbs, 2 feet wide, 3 feet high, one layer of steel on front and sides, backed by one layer of wood.

Results: Although the heater shield is battle-field proven, so is the Hoplon, and despite the centuries of difference, I would have to say the Hoplon remains the better shield of the two, both for its powerful strikes and for its density. There's a reason Sparta's soldiers were nearly unbeatable in their time, and it was that shield that made them legends.

Edge: Spartan

Armour Comparison:

Bronze Musculata vs. Steel Platemail

Bronze Musculata- High-grade bronze designed to look like the muscled torso of a man. 30lbs including helmet. Moderate resistance to crushing weapons and terrific resistance to slashing or thrusting weapons. Also has vambraces on the forearms and ankle-to-knee height greaves. Upper arms and thighs are left bare for additional mobility. Helmet includes a crimson coloured crest vertically over the helmet, and gives full coverage of the head and face, minus a single spot on the back of the neck, just below the brain stem. Also paired with an encompassing crimson cape, which although does not add much by way of protection, covers the Spartans' limbs.

Steel Platemail- The most advanced armour before the advent of gunpowder. 65 lbs total for entire suit, including helmet, gauntlets, pauldroms, greaves with full leg coverage, and chainmail backing. Back of legs are protected only by chainmail, and under-arm is also a vulnerable point in the armour. Includes a full-helmet covering every part of the head and is the thickest portion of the armour. Maximum resistance to all attack types except bludgeoning weapons.

Note: the armour of the Knight is pre-articulated plate armour. Although just as protective it is much more hindering than its advanced cousin.

Results: You'd think this would be an easy decision, but when you look at armour, all things must be considered. The protection they give, the functionality, and how much it limits the warriors' movement. The Spartan armour gives the wearer far more mobility, as it doesn't cover his arms or upper legs, and still provides adequate protection. However, the steel platemail armour made the knights virtually undefeated in their time; although it severely limits their movement, the edge is most definitely to the Knight.

Edge: Knight

The Knight has the Advantage in Equipment

During the Crusades, the Knights spent much of their time fighting in foreign lands, while the Spartans were not known to leave Greece very often; many of their battles were fought against the other city-states of that time, including Athens, with the exception of their battle with the Persians at Thermopylae Pass. As such this battle will take place in Greece, giving the Spartan a home-field advantage. In addition, Knights often fought on horseback, but to keep this fight fair they will not have a horse this time, leaving the knight with a greater fatigue factor as well as slower travel.

Warrior statistics and X-Factors: 

Spartan:

5'8 in height; shorter reach

Trained in combat since childhood

Massive front-line combat experience

Massive Pain Tolerance

Fearless

Determination

Audacious

Stronger Shield

Greater Mobility

Devoted to Glory and Battle

More Versatile

Terrain Advantage

Better sight thanks to wider eyeholes in helmet

Less-cumbersome armour; faster movement

Stronger shield

Inferior Bronze/Iron-age weaponry

Less educated

Less armour coverage

Knight:

5'11 in height; longer reach

Trained in combat from adolescence

Moderate Combat Experience as both fighter and commander

Average pain tolerance

Courageous

Highly Zealous

Devoted to King and Country

Better educated

More intelligent

Better fed; more energy

Superior Steel Age weapons technology

Massive Armour coverage

Terrain Disadvantage

More cumbersome armour; slower movement and tires more quickly

Less versatile

Highly limited vision due to helmet

The Spartan has a slight advantage in X-Factors

**_Let the battle commence…_**

The rocky climb was far too treacherous to risk his horse, and so the Knight, leaving behind his steed, tied to a tree at the bottom of the ridge, climbed the rock on foot. Lifting the face-plate of his helmet to give him better vision as to where he was going, he scaled the incline, hoping to find a better vantage point. But just in case, he brought along his halberd, crossbow and shield, and a broadsword sheathed at his belt.

Finally, he reached the top of the ridge, and peered out to the lands beyond. Ahead of him was a steep drop off of the ridge, but to his right the land spread and stretched out, slightly lumpy. The ridge was treacherous further out; a short distance from where he stood the ridge dropped right into the ocean. A wrong step too near to there and the knight would fall right into the sea; better to avoid that. Straight ahead, the land, though still lumpy, descended down into a more open area.

But then he saw it; a warrior, standing upon a large rock looking his way, clad in bronze and adorning a crimson cape, carrying a massive round shield and a spear in his hands.

A Spartan Warrior; a legend in these lands.

He raised his spear up high, and bellowed out towards the Knight. "Ah-OO!" And repeated this several times, before he leapt down from the stone, his eyes never leaving the knight.

A challenge had been issued.

The knight set down his halberd and lifted his crossbow, taking aim at the Spartan with his crossbow and firing. The Spartan, having noticed the weapon even if not the bolt itself, ducked behind his shield before the knight even fired. The bolt imbedded itself deep into the shield, but did not penetrate all the way through the wood and leather backing, and even if it had, it would've missed the Spartan's arm.

As the knight moved to load another bolt, the Spartan stuck his dory spear into the dirt, picking out his Javelin from his left hand behind his shield and took a running start before hurling it at the Knight. Thanks to his obscuring helmet, the Knight could not see the Javelin coming, and when he raised his crossbow to fire a second bolt, the Javelin landed; it struck the Knight's cuirass with more force than one could expect from a javelin.

With an audible clank the knight was knocked onto his backside by the javelin. It left a small hole in the chestplate but did not reach the chainmail underneath, and he easily pulled it out, before pushing himself back up to his feet, grabbing his halberd as he did; the Spartan was now charging, and he was ready. He stanced himself, and called out to the air. "For the King!" before he thrust his halberd towards the charging Spartan.

A backhand swing of his hoplon nearly sent the halberd out of the knights' hand, and followed it up with a thrust of his spear, which glanced off of the Knights side and staggered him, and drew back the spear, raising his shield again as the knight regained his balance and chopped at the Spartan with his halberd, the deadly blade coming right for the Spartan's helmet.

The Spartan ducked, holding his shield up over his head, stopping the halberd dead in its tracks, before he lunged forward and drove his spear into the knight's stomach. Once more the breastplate saved the knight from harm; it dented in, deep, from the force of the blow, but it did not penetrate, and the spearhead was bent out of place. The knight staggered back, narrowly keeping himself from falling onto his back again, and regained his balance just as the Spartan flipped his spear around, stabbing instead with the smaller but equally powerful butt-spike of his dory.

The knight parried, however; he jabbed upward with the lower portion of the halberd and sent the spear upward, before he slashed again, this time striking the Spartan's helmet. It was only a graze, though, so the Spartan remained on his feet, and punched forward with his shield, striking the shaft of the halberd and breaking it in two.

The knight immediately drew his sword as the Greek soldier made to stab at him again, and parried the spear aside with the broadsword, before swinging a second time and once more hitting the Spartan in the helmet, denting it and dazing the wearing but not penetrating. With the Spartan disoriented the Knight grabbed his own shield, and faced the Spartan again, blocking yet another thrust from his spear, and this time he slashed his broadsword at the spear-shaft, breaking it just as the Spartan had done to his halberd, and punched out with the rim of his heater shield, which the Spartan blocked with his hoplon but it still sent him stumbling backward.

The Spartan drew his Xiphos, which was obscured by the shield so as far as the Knight could tell, the Spartan was unarmed, and so rushed at him, swinging his broadsword in an overhand chop only for the Spartan to block it and stab out with his iron sword. This time, it struck the Knight's already dented stomach-armour again, and it punched through, but didn't go far. It penetrated the place and through the chainmail but only went an inch and a half into the Knight's belly, failing to reach any organs.

The knight struck the Spartan in the head with the pommel of his broadsword, denting in the forehead of the crested helmet and making the Spartan wince, before the knight swung with a left-hook with his shield, striking the Spartan in the arm. A bone snapped, and the Spartan reeled, losing his sword, before the knight slashed at him again. Once more the hoplon stopped the oncoming blade, and the Spartan threw all of his weight forward at the knight, slamming into him with the face of the shield, and sending the knight stumbling back.

A backhand swing with the hoplon soon followed, knocking the Knight's own heater shield off of his arm, and the Spartan punched forward with it, this time succeeding in knocking the knight off of his feet. Down went the knight, and the Spartan, raised up his shield to slam it onto the knight. Reacting quickly the downed knight swung for the Spartan's leg; the blow was too weak to go through bone but it tripped up the Spartan enough that he missed with his shield, and knight kicked him in the back, this time sending the Spartan off of his feet.

Both fighters scurried back up to their feet. The knight, enraged now, gripped his sword with both hands, and the Spartan, drew back his shield for another swing.

"SPARTA!" bellowed the Spartan as he rushed forward with one more shield bash.

But the knight wasn't going to have it this time; he swung his sword from the Spartan's right, striking the shield with his sword full-force, and the Spartan stumbled forward just as the knight thrust his sword. The Bronze Musculata cuirass did not hold up as well as the Knight's armour had; he sword tip punched through the chestplate, meeting ribs and possibly collapsing a lung. The Spartan, despite the agony of the blow, defiantly swung his shield again, striking the Knight's helmet, but it only served the wrench the sword more, and the knight pushed the Spartan away with one hand, before mightily chopping with a two-handed swing.

The sword hit the Spartan's helmet in the very middle of the forehead, denting it deeply. Blood visibly appeared on the Spartan's obscured face, and knight slashed again, this time his sword struck the Spartan's knight; bones crunched as the collar caved in, and blood streamed from the wound. The Spartan stood motionless for a moment before he dropped to the ground.

The knight withdrew his sword and swung it to fling off some of the blood. "Heathen Scum!" he barked to the downed Spartan, before retrieving his equipment, and leaving the defeated warrior behind. Truly the Spartans were worthy of their warrior heritage, but none could challenge the gallant crusader.

Winner:

**KNIGHT**

Knight

Broadsword: 191

Halberd: 153

Crossbow: 194

Heater Shield: 43

Total: 581

Spartan

Xiphos: 51

Dory Spear: 137

Heavy Javelin: 3

Hoplon Shield: 228

Total: 419

If this is a demonstration of anything, it's that even history's strongest warrior can be overcome. The Spartan's were undefeatable in their own time, but this was during the Bronze Age. Once you bring Steel into the game, it's a massive advantage for the knight. That said, the battle was much closer than initially expected; the Spartan's sheer overwhelming strength led him to victory 419 times, but it wasn't enough against the Knight's 581.

The Knight's armour, the sheer penetrating power of his crossbow, and his greater intelligence for strategy against a more brutal opponent like the Spartan turned this fight to his advantage, as well as the powerful Broadsword and halberd. Although the halberd was often stopped by the Spartan's shield it was still stronger than the Dory once shields were no longer a factor.

The Spartan's shield was not only his best defense but strongest weapon; the bludgeoning force of it was almost enough to overcome the knight, but it takes more than that, because the shield-bash is a massive fatigue factor just as much as the Knight's heavier armor, and anytime the Spartan might miss that shield base, it was a lot of wasted energy. Most of the Spartan's kills came from a lucky blow at the knight's eyes whenever he lifted his visor to see more clearly, a strike in his neck a broken neck from a shield-bash from the Spartan. But it just was not enough to win.

Spartan remains second-place in all Ancient Warriors so far, but today the title of deadliest warrior belongs to the Knight.


	6. Aztec Jaguar vs Viking

Viking

Battle-crazed berserker of the North, and master sailors, who ravaged and left the European Continent bathed in blood.

Aztec Jaguar

Swift-moving slayer of the ancient Aztec Empire, collecting bodies for ritual sacrifice to their gods.

WHO

IS

DEADLIEST?

**Viking**

Viking Longsword

Great-Axe

Spear

Hand Axe

Armour:

Chainmail shirt with iron helmet and banded round shield

**Aztec Jaguar**

Maquahiutl sword-club

Tepoztopilli spear

Tlacotchli Spear /w Atlatl launcher

Tematlatl sling

Armour:

Padded hard-cotton shirt, jaguar head-shaped helmet, and cuauhchīmalli (wooden) shield

Weapons and Armour comparison:

Short-Range:

Viking Longsword vs. Maquahiutl

Longsword-Iron blade with a small point for maximum thrust or slash

Stats: 3 feet, 3lbs, double-edged, highly versatile, narrow hilt and short handle, leaving it entirely a one-handed weapon.

Maquahiutl-Hardwood club, imbedded with obsidian blades all along the edges

Stats: 4feet, 2.5 lbs, double-edged, high impact and tearing factor, but loses obsidian blades as it cuts.

Results: Tests definitely speak volumes here, because instinctively people are going to give the edge to the metal weapon. But in this case, I see many advantages with the Maquahiutl. This weapon is by far the most advanced thing you'll see with stone-age type of armaments; it's longer and lighter than the longsword giving it reach and speed, the obsidian blades cut into flesh like butter and fragment in the process leaving shards inside the body to continue doing damage, and it can strike with enough force to decapitate a person which although the longsword can do too, the Maquahiutl does it much more easily thanks to the force of which it hits. Furthermore, even if the Maquahiutl loses all of its obsidian blades, it's still a club that hits VERY hard. Edge, Maquahiutl.

Edge: Aztec Jaguar

Medium-Range:

Great-axe vs. Tepoztopilli

Great-Axe-Heavy weapon designed to be taken by gravity in overhand swings, striking with massive force. A favorite of the Vikings.

Stats: 5 feet, 4.4lbs, great reach, and also capable of hooking enemy weapons if maneuvered properly, including a disarming factor, but is rather slow on the attack making it easy to avoid.

Tepoztopilli-Spear with an obsidian-imbedded, leaf-shaped spearhead.

Stats: 6 feet, , long reach, very slim shaft, designed similarlity to the Maquahiutl. Good penetration against flesh but ineffective against armour.

Results: Although the tepoztopilli spear is certainly an agonizing weapon, when tested against the Viking chainmail, it actually did not penetrate very deeply; blood could be drawn but the strike would not be lethal. Furthermore, I think that stick-thin shaft could mean the weapon is also easy to break if it hits a hard surface. The great axe is an unstoppable force; when it hits, it destroys whatever it meets, and neither the Aztecs' shield or helmet stop it when it comes down. Edge, Great Axe.

Edge: Viking

Long-Range:

Viking Spear vs. Tlacotchli spear

Viking Spear-Long spear with triangular spearhead and a cross-guard below the tip, usable for both melee or as a thrown weapon.

Stats: 7 feet, 6lbs, capable of being used for throwing; optimal range of 15 yards, maximum range of 40 yards. Vikings also known to throw two at once.

Tlacotchli-Obsidian-tipped small spear, more like a dart, paired with atlatl launcher for greater range.

Stats: 4 feet, 1lbs, not useful for melee, but paired with atlatl it can fly up to 150 yards, with optimal range of 50 yards.

Results: Although the tlacotchli is not usable as a melee weapon like the Viking spear, its range FAR exceeds that of the much heavier spear. The Obsidian head is also detachable, so when that thing hits, and enters the body, the Viking is going to have a chunk of Obsidian lodged inside of him. Even if the initial strike misses, that's going to do some serious trauma to the organs which could, depending on the placement, actually become a killstrike. Between the greater range and the killing potential of it, I'm going with the Tlacotchli.

Edge: Aztec Jaguar

Special Weapons:

Hand Axe vs. Tematlatl

Hand Axe-Also called a War Axe. Designed similarly to the great axe but shorter

Stats: 2.5 feet, 2 lbs, with bearded blade giving it a disarming factor. Quick on the swing and easy to wield, but short reach. Can also be thrown.

Tematlatl Sling-Compact rope with custom-shaped rocks as its projectiles

Stats: 3 feet, less than a half a pound in weight. Wielder carries up to eight specially shaped stones, but can use other ones as ammunition. Range of 40 yards.

Results: Even though the sling gives the Aztec Jaguar a distance advantage over the hand axe, even if the axe can be thrown, I can't see those rocks going through chainmail; it may not absorb their impact but chainmail doesn't break apart under blunt-force, the rings stay linked. It might crack a rib or, if its high enough, may even break some teeth, but the hand axe can do all of that and more. Edge, axe.

Edge: Viking

Armour Comparison:

Padded cotton vs. Chainmail

Padded cotton shirt-Paired with Jaguar Helmet and wooden shield. Weighs 6 pounds, plus 3 for the helmet, and is absolutely flexible, stealing no movement from the wearer.

Chainmail shirt-Paired with Iron Helmet and banded round shield; shirt weighs 35 pounds, plus another 6 for the helmet. Short sleeves give the arms full movement; very little or no mobility is lost.

Results: Padded cotton was meant to stop arrows; this it does well, but chainmail stops blades and clubs –even if it doesn't absorb impact very well- and those iron helmets are pretty thick. Even though the Jaguar is much more mobile with his armour, I have to give this to the chainmail

Edge: Viking

The Aztec Jaguars were commonly known to dwell in the Central American region and there's little about them being a sea-faring people. As for the Vikings, there is proof of them landing in North America 500 years before even Christopher Columbus did; they're lives were spent mostly sailing, while the Aztec Jaguar was right at home on land. In this scenario, the Vikings have landed in Aztec-ruled Mexico, in an unfamiliar terrain and climate against a warrior who dominates on land. As such, the Aztec Jaguar gains land, home-field and climate advantages. But the Vikings sailing gave them contact with many foreign people, granting them the Foreign Contact advantage

X-Factors and Statistics:

Viking

5'11 in height

Longer Reach

Superior Physical Strength

Foreign Contact Experience

Belief in the Norse-originated War Gods, such as Odin, Thor and Heimdall

Battles to find an opponent capable of killing him

Iron-Age Tech advantage

Stronger Armour

Determination

Berserker Rage

Intimidation: Battle-Shout

Unfamiliar with Hot, humid Climate; fatigues more quickly

Unfamiliar Territory

Berserker Rage leads to fatigue once effects wear off

Heavier equipment; fatigues more quickly

Aztec Jaguar

5'7 in height

Superior speed

Superior Ranged Arsenal

Belief in the Aztec Gods such as Tlaloc, Xipe-Totec and Tonatiuh

Battles for Ritualistic purposes

Advanced Designs on Stone-Age weaponry

Jaguar Helmet: Intimidation Factor

Terrain Advantage

Climate Advantage

Familiar Territory Advantage

More Combat Experience

Shorter Reach

Weaker Armour

Less Physical Strength

The Aztec Jaguar has a slight edge in X-Factors

_**Let the battle commence...**_

Leaving behind the landing site where he and his kin had made ground in this strange, hot and humid region, deciding to do a little exploring before their raids began, get a feel for the land where they were now. The heat was quickly getting to him, though; he was not used to this kind of weather, and would have to make this a short walk. But just in case of any contact with a new adversary, he had brought his weapons, although the added weight served as an even greater burden to him as he walked along.

Coming over a hilltop he came upon an area of open plains, some trees in the distance but for the most part, a very unassuming sight. The trees looked like they'd make a good place to camp; they'd give the men some shade for when they moved further inland. Although it didn't look like much else would pass for shade here; there was so much open ground under this blazing sun, some foothils in the distance, but mainly plains.

The trees were near at least; he began his trek towards them, deciding to explore where at least he'd get some cover from the sun. Carrying his axe over his shoulder and aspear under his arm, with his sword and axe both in his belt and shield on his back, he was a walking armoury. He was used to travelling like this though; weapons could break, after all, so it was always best to carry plenty of weapons for every scenario.

But he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.

Little did he know, he was indeed; from the trees which the Viking was approaching. A warrior garbed in the skins of a jaguar and wearing a helmet resembling the head of one, watched him with murder in his eye. A massive, iron-clad warrior, intruding upon the lands of the Aztecs. Though this outside should be punished for his intrusion, a powerful figure like that would make an excellent sacrifice for the next ritual.

Yes... this was an opportunity he could not waste, else the gods would never forgive him.

He drew his atlatl and tlacotchli, mounting the latter onto the smaller launching device. He had brought four tlacotchli with him, along with his maquahiutl, tematlatl and tepoztopilli; these should be more than enough to crush this warrior. Dropping down from the tree, down by the roots where his remaining equipment lay leaning against the trunk, he drew back his arm, eyes on the intruder who was still oblivious to the presence of the Aztec Jaguar, and taking a deep breath to calm his anxiety, analyzing the distance, he let-fly the tlacotchli.

The Viking never saw the weapon, but he never felt its bite either. However, he DID hear it fly right past his shoulder, prompting him to whirl around to identify what had nearly struck him, and there he saw the feathered, arrow-like spear imbedded in the ground halfway up its frame. Someone was firing at him!

There was nowhere for him to seek any cover anywhere; the land around him as absolutely bare. The spear had come from the trees, so his opponent was there. He didn't know how much ammunition this attacker had; if he stayed out here, sooner or later he'd be hit before even seeing his opponent, and even if he were to consider it, he'd never be able to outrun this attacker, not with all he was carrying. There was only one option; he had to get to the trees and confront his assailant. Calling out to Odin, he ran for the trees.

Another of the spears fell past him as he ran, closer this time; he heard the fletching rub against his chainmail, but he didn't look back. The heat of the sun was beating down on him like a war drum, and already he was having trouble focusing; his head was drenched with sweat under his helmet and his torso was rapidly becoming the same beneath his chainmail.

Two more of the spears fell, the first missing but the second hitting its mark; the Viking felt a bite in his torso, and saw the projectile had landed in his side, missing any vital organs but still wounding him painfully. He kept the spear in and kept running, knowing if he stopped to try and remove it now he might only make himself a target for the next.

Although the Aztec Jaguar had unfortunately used his last tlacotchli, and so was left with only his short range weapons, but this new warrior had survived this long. Soon however, the Aztec would have him. Picking up his Maquahiutl and checking to make sure he had the rest of his equipment, he charged off into the trees to await his prey.

The Viking was now in the shade of a tree, and looked at the long, stick-like spear protruding from his torso. He felt the spearhead poking out the back, but it felt loose when he touched it. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the dart-like projectile the rest of the way through, howling in agony when the fletchings exited and cursing. It was lucky it had only been a glancing blow; had that landed somewhere vital, he'd bleed out very quickly after this, but as it stood, he would be fine.

Reaching into his satchel, he picked out a particular piece of food from his rations, and quickly consumed it, trying to regain some energy. Running across that hot plain had taken a lot out of him and he needed a boost. He hoped his people's special mushrooms would give him that quickly enough; his yelling probably caught the attention of his attacker. Setting down his axe and shifting his spear over to his right hand, he stepped out from his cover behind the tree, shield in his left hand now, raised to block anymore oncoming attacks.

The next one came much sooner than he expected; he heard a whirring sound, and seconds later he heard something strike his shield, not hard enough for him to feel it, but a look at his shield revealed quite a dent in the wood. If that projectile had struck his eye it would've gone straight into his skull. He ducked back behind the tree again, peering out only briefly to try and spot his attacker. This time the next projectile, which he saw to be a stone, struck the trunk next to his face, causing him to pull back again.

But he'd caught a glimpse; his opponent was up in a nearby tree, holding a sling. The warrior wore an animal skin and a helmet resembling the head of a wild cat. He'd heard rumors of such a fighter; an Aztec Jaguar, they were called. Fierce, swift-moving warriors, who very few ever escaped from; finally, a worthy opponent for the Viking! He had to get him out of that tree first.

The Viking sprang out of hiding, bringing up his shield as another stone soared at him. The rock pinged off of his shield, and then he charged, hurling his spear right at the Aztec Jaguar. Seeing the projectile coming the Aztec sprang from the tree, narrowly avoiding it as it stuck into a limb, sticking in almost to the cross-guard of the spearhead.

The evasion cost the Aztec his last stone for his tematlatl, so he cast the string aside and grabbed his Tepoztopilli and shield, before he ran out into view, charging for the Viking. The massive warrior saw him coming and went to grab his great-axe which he'd left leaning against the tree he'd ducked behind earlier. He picked it up, and swung it as he turned; he missed the Aztec but the massive weapon and its terrifying howl as it split the air was enough to make the Aztec back up or risk being decapitated.

The Viking came at him again, twisting his body to bring the axe into an overhand chop, the ridiculous reach of the Viking's arm and the lengthy axe left the Aztec no time to back up, so he sprang to the side as the axe buried itself deep in the dirt. The Aztec rushed in while the Viking tried to lift his axe back out, stapping his spear right for the Viking's exposed side. However, the chainmail the Viking wore held against the obsidian blade that made the spears' tip; without an actual point on it the spear had no means to penetrate the interlocked rings. But it still hurt the Viking enough to infuriate him; he struck the Aztec in the nose with his elbow, breaking the cartilage and making the Aztec howl in pain. With his axe retrieved, the Viking turned his weapon on his opponent, bringing the massive blade down towards the Aztec.

Unable to dodge in time the Aztec brought up his shield, but the wood was no match for the axe's massive blade; the axe chopped clean into the wooden shield, missing the Aztec's arm by only a millimeter, and nearly pulling him off his feet as the Viking tried to pull the axe back out. Letting the shield go, the Aztec lunged at the Viking, who was unable to maneuver his awkward weapon due to the added weight on the head, and the Aztec thrust his spear right for the Viking's chest. As before the obsidian blade didn't penetrate, but it fragmented, and several splinters of the obsidian stuck into the Viking's flesh, causing a feeling like a dozen irritating splinters were in his skin. The force of the thrust had also cracked a rib.

The Viking, mad with anger now, dropped his axe and grabbed the Aztec's spear, pulling on it. The anger-fueled rage of the already strong Viking made the Aztec's feet leave the ground; he was launched through the air, but managed to roll and break his fall as he hit ground again, and spun around to face the Viking. The larger warrior snapped the Aztec's spear over his knee, and cast aside the two pieces. Now the Aztec had only his Maquahiutl, but he'd left it by the tree where he'd used his sling!

The Viking lunged for him and made a grab for him, but the Aztec ducked and ran, heading back for the tree once more. The Viking, able to see easily that he couldn't catch such a fast opponent, drew his hand-axe and hurled it right for the Aztec Jaguar, but he missed; the axe whizzed past the Aztec harmlessly. Cursing the Viking ran to grab his battle-shield again, which he'd dropped when he'd grabbed his great-axe, and drew his sword.

But when he looked up, the Aztec Jaguar was gone!

The Viking ran where he last saw the Aztec, retrieving his hand-axe as he did, and looked around. He saw what he thought may have been the Aztec heading between the trees, moving and dodging them. The Viking pursued, running through the shadows of the forest, until he came to a clearing. He was back out on the plains again, the punishing heat of the sun came back down on him now, and the Aztec had vanished again.

Stepping out and glancing around, he sought his quarry, but saw no sign of them. Until suddenly, he heard something whistling and felt a sharp pain in his belly. Bellowing out in pain he grabbed for his stomach, and felt an arrow. Or rather, the dart-like spear the Aztec had been hurling at him before. He had come out here, retrieved one of his discarded projectiles, and had just used it again. The Viking pulled the arrow out, but found the head missing. When he moved, he felt a sharp pain in his belly once more; the arrowhead was still inside of him!

He heard a bellow, and looked up to see the Aztec, brandishing a new weapon, coming at him. He barely raised his shield in time to block the oncoming attack, and countered with a swing of his sword, but the searing heat of the sun, along with the pain in his stomach and chest from the earlier Obsidian splinters still in his body, made his swing somewhat sloppy, and the Aztec deftly avoided his strike. He followed it up with a backhand swung, only for the Aztec to bring his Maquahiutl upward and parry the sword, sending it over the Vikings' head, and then bringing the weapon down towards the warrior.

Desperately turning himself the Viking managed to put his shield in the path of the Aztec Jaguar's Maquahiutl but with his balance thrown off by the parry, he was thrown off balance. Spinning himself, the Aztec performed a slashing motion, and the obsidian blades cut across the Viking's shield arm; one blade fragmented and cut into the Viking's shoulder, putting yet more obsidian splinters in him and furthering the agony he was already enduring.

Truly, he had found a worthy opponent. But Odin would not yet call him to Valhalla this day; he wanted to join his brothers in challenging those of the Aztec Jaguar, to meet them on equal ground, and die in a glorious battle, not in a duel.

The Viking's shield came up as the Aztec swung again, backhanding the Maquahiutl aside, and the Aztec barely evaded a stab from the Viking. His expression had changed, his eyes bloodshot with fury, teeth gritted in anger and his expression contorted with fury. He suddenly let out a howl of fury so loud, the Aztec backed away, readying himself.

The Viking came at him, the pain in his shoulder, chest and stomach no longer a factor to him. He had succumbed to the greatest gift Odin had to offer one of his sons; the Berserker Rage. The Viking attacked like a maddened beast, his sword swinging with blinding speed far greater than what he'd been capable of before. The Aztec's own speed the only thing keeping him from being chopped into pieces. The Viking didn't even seem to be fatigued by the hot sunlight either!

Finally, when the Viking struck the side of the Aztec's Maquahiutl with his shield, with such force the weapon cracked and was torn from the Jaguar's hand, he knew he could not defeat this opponent. Avoiding the next swing he turned and ran; he was unarmed, and facing what may as well have been the wrath of his gods themselves, for only they would stop this mad, blood-thirsty monster.

The Viking was not about to let him escape though. Drawing the axe he'd retrieved earlier he hurled it right for the Aztec Jaguar, catching him in his leg and sending him falling on his face. The Aztec pushed himself up on his hands, seeing another of his tlacotchli spears ahead of him. Maybe…!

He didn't get one inch, before he felt something stab into his other leg, pinning his leg to the ground. With one leg almost sheared off and another now staked into the ground by an iron blade, there was no escape for the Aztec Jaguar now. The Viking ripped his axe free of the Aztec's leg, and, tossing aside his shield to grip it with both hands, brought the blade down on the Aztec's helmet. The wood and bone helmet did nothing to stop the weapon; it shattered around the axe, along with severing the Aztec's head right at the brainstem.

Pulling off the helmet and holding up the head to the sky along with his blood-soaked hand-axe, the Viking howled again in fury, so loud even his brothers at the nearby coastline could hear his call of victory.

WINNER:

**VIKING**

Viking

Long Sword: 191

Great-Axe: 121

Spear: 88

Hand-Axe: 132

Total: 532

Aztec Jaguar

Maquahiutl: 301

Tepoztopilli: 35

Tlachotchli /w Atatl: 104

Tematlatl: 18

Total: 468

This was a fairly close matchup.

The Aztec had nearly every advantage in this fight. Technology was barely even a factor thanks to the ingenuity of Aztecian Engineering, but he could not match the Vikings' brute strength, and the foreign contact experience which made him the much more adaptive opponent. These, along with the Viking's fastest weapons, allowed him to narrowly seize victory from the Aztec Jaguar who barely fell behind, and in a much unexpected close matchup, the Viking prevailed.

Most of the Aztec's victories were owed to the crushing force of his maquahiutl, his superior long-ranged tlachotchli, the shards of obsidian he left in the Viking's body when struck by the Maquahiutl or the tepoztopilli even though the latter was virtually useless against the Vikings' armour and shield, the speed and agility they trained to have, the terrain and climate rapidly fatiguing the Viking allowing him to outmaneuver the Viking many times to deliver a killing blow, and the aftermath of the Viking's own adrenaline induced Berserker Rage, where he'd be left fatigued and highly vulnerable. That said however, when the Viking entered that state, it was not very often that the Aztec was able to survive fighting him, because once the Viking went berserk, there was nothing that could stop him.

Aztec Jaguar's near-win earns him a rematch in the near future, but for now, the Viking is our Deadliest Warrior.


	7. Gladiator vs Mamluk

The Gladiator

Crowd-pleasing juggernaut of ancient Rome, fighting for life and death in the Arena

The Mamluk

Slave-made professional soldier forced to fight in the armies of the famous Abbasid Caliphs, dealing death across the Arabian Desert

WHO

IS

DEADLIEST?

**Gladiator**

Trident & Net

Cestus

Sica sword

Plumbatae Dart

Armour:

Bronze Heavy Helmet, pauldrons and greaves with oval shield.

**Mamluk**

Cavalry Lance

Flanged Mace

Mameluke Sabre

Bow & Arrow

Armour:

Chainmail and Lamellar vest with steel conical helmet and round shield

Note: The Mamluk never appeared in the Deadliest Warrior show, so the research on this particular fighter is done through internet, books and historical records. I hope you appreciate the work done to bring this matchup. We chose this fighter because, like the gladiator, they had no choice in whether or not they were to fight by the will of another, essentially both are slaves. Gladiators however could range among criminals, from thieves and murderers to renegade soldiers. As such the Mamluk has no advantage of being a professional soldier, as it is quite possible some Gladiators were formerly Roman Legionnaires.

Weapons and Armour Comparison:

Medium-Range

Trident & Net vs. Cavalry Lance

Trident-Wooden, forked spear with barbed points at the end of each prong.

Stats: 6feet long, 4lbs, steel head with wooden shaft. Usable with one or two hands and paired with a net to trip up or strangle opponents. The forked design of the trident also gives it a disarming factor.

Cavalry Lance-Sharp, lengthy spear made to impale enemies in a cavalry charge or topple enemy cavalry.

Stats: 9feet long, 6lbs, narrow steel head for armour penetration.

Results: We all know the Mamluk, or 'Mamelukes' as many know them, fought primarily as a mounted soldier, so fighting on foot with this semi-awkward weapon is likely going to be a disadvantage. Despite its length and penetration power, the trident & net combination is a devastating technique, able to trip up and strike an opponent simultaneously. If the Gladiator can get inside the reach of that weapon, I think he has the advantage.

Edge: Gladiator

Special Weapons

Cestus vs. Flanged Mace

Cesus-Leather wrapping with iron spikes in the front for tearing flesh

Stats: 2lbs, great blunt-force trauma, but reach is limited by length of Gladiators' arm.

Flanged mace-Iron bludgeoning weapon with a head covered in razor-sharp fin-like blades.

Stats: 2.5 feet long, 5.5lbs, can crush almost any kind of armor and is usable with one or two hands.

Results: Although the cestus is definitely the faster weapon of this selection, I can't see the gladiator getting inside of the reach of that mace very easily; even if he is the lighter-armoured opponent and possibly the quicker of the two, if that mace hits, everything is going to shatter. Edge, Mace.

Edge: Mamluk

Short-range

Sica vs. Sabre

Sica-Steel blade forged with an angle giving it a boomerang shape

Stats: 3feet. 2.5lbs, great thrusting power, and has the capacity to stab around shields and has moderate slashing power as well.

Sabre-Cavalry sword with a curve and narrow blade

Stats: 3feet, 2lbs, low thrusting power but high slashing power, quick and maneuverable.

Results: This is a tough one. Both weapons are highly functional, maneuverable, and they do what they're meant to. The Sica can thrust around shields and that thick blade backs it with more force, the sabre is quick and fluid but that narrow blade could make it breakable and both can be paired with shields; all this in mind, I'd call it a draw.

EVEN

Long-Range

Plumbatae vs. bow & arrow

Plumbatae-Short, compact dart originally used by Roman Legionnaires

Stats: 1.5 feet long, 1lb, maximum range of 30yards, optimal range of 10 yards

Bow & arrow-Centuries-old weapon system, repurposed for firing from horseback

Stats: 3feet high, 1lb, wood and sinew composite, maximum range of 100 yards, optimal range of 40 yards, designed for horseback archery.

Results: The dart can be paired with the shield so the Gladiator can protect himself while he's throwing this item. The bow can shoot much farther and the Gladiator's thick helmet might not let him see if coming. That said however, this fight will be in Gladiatorial Arena, and a bow is not a practical weapon in a place with limited space such as an arena. I gotta go around the conventional wisdom of a bows superior accuracy and think more by way of practicality.

Edge: Gladiator

Armour Comparion

Gladiator gear vs. Chainmail hauberk with lamellar vest

Gladiator gear-Thick bronze helmet paired with paulrons, chainmail sleeves and vambraces, and greaves for protecting the legs. Gladiator's chest is left bare and unprotected. Helmet weighs 15lbs, and additional gear adds another 10. Helmet also affects vision severely.

Chainmail hauberk /w Lamellar-Paired with a conical helmet, and vambraces to protect the hands, but legs are not protected except by the chain skirt hanging around the thighs, and a chainmail vest protecting the wearers' front in the chest area. Weighs total of 55lbs and has excellent coverage.

Results: The Gladiator is virtually unprotected in his most vital areas, the chest, back and stomach. Even though he has a shield, if the Mamluk can get around that, the gladiator is just far too vulnerable. Meanwhile the Mamluk, he has adequate defense in his most vital areas; even if he's not accustomed to fighting on foot, the Gladiator has his work cut-out for him if he wants to get through that armour. Edge is most definitely to the Mamluk.

Edge: Mamluk

As mentioned before, the upcoming battle will take place in a Gladiatorial Arena. This will leave the Mamluk without his horse, as well as fighting in an enclosed area, giving the Gladiator a large battlefield advantage.

Statistics and X-Factors:

Gladiator

5'8 in height

Physically stronger

High pain tolerance

Battlefield Advantage

More accustomed to close-range combat

Driven by Survival instinct

Experienced combatant in various scenarios

Less equipment and armour; can move faster

Forced to fight for entertainment of others

Not well-fed; less energy

Vision hindered by Helmet

Unprotected torso

Mamluk

5'8 in height

Better-fed; more energy

Experienced Soldier

Tactical Prowess

Accustomed to fighting armoured opponents (Fought in Crusades)

Vision not affected by helmet

Full steel arsenal

Trained in the Desert

Bound and Driven by oath of allegiance to his Caliph

Bound to Arabic Religion

Not accustomed to fighting on foot

Less skilled in short-range combat

Heavier armour; slower than opponent

The Mamluk has a slight edge in X-Factors

_**Let the battle commence...**_

The Mamluk stumbled as his captors, having left him with his armour on, kicked him out the door, where he fell into the sandy ground. His weapons were thrown to the ground next to him before the Romans slammed shut the gate, preventing his only means of escape. He went for his bow, hoisting it up in preparation for an attack and notching an arrow. They had thrown him into a round arena with no way out; they had to have something planned for him. Some reason for not killing him after his comrades had been defeated and left him the only survivor. The stands of the arena were covered with spectators; Roman soldiers and civilians all watching him.

But what did they want him for? That was the big question.

The groaning of a second gate drew his attention; he turned in the direction of the sound, and out of a second entrance to the arena stepped a massive man with a helmet that covered his whole visage, keeping the Mamluk from seeing the face of his opponent. Aside from a manacle of chainmail and plates covering his arms and greaves covering his shins, the man was completely unarmoured, but he was armed to the teeth with some very diabolical-looking weapons.

Now the Mamluk knew what they were planning; this was a Gladiator stepping into the arena; they wanted the Mamluk to fight him, to kill or be killed, for entertainment! Of all the heathens that the Mamluk had fought in service to his Caliph these Romans were barbaric. But he could tell this Gladiator was not going to be an easy opponent; they were on his terms, in a confined space that would leave the Mamluk no time to run from him. With so much less armour he'd probably be quicker anyway.

No choice; the Mamluk had to fight him head-on.

Above, the Roman Emperor bade for the battle to begin; the Mamluk restrained himself from turning his bow on the Emperor, knowing it'd be a wasted shot from all the way down here. Even if by some chance the arrow struck the Emperor, it would not likely be a kill shot and every archer in the stands would fire arrows upon him.

The Gladiator, shield in hand along with an unseen weapon, approached the Mamluk, growling in a feral manner behind his helmet. The Mamluk turned his bow on the Gladiator, and fired; the Gladiator ducked behind his shield, and the arrow struck the metal boss in the center pinging off harmlessly. The Mamluk reached for another arrow, but didn't even touch the fletching before the Gladiator hurled something towards him, forcing him to dodge it. A small dart whizzed past, sticking into the ground behind him.

The Mamluk managed to pull another arrow from his quiver this time, and narrowly ducked another plumbatae the Gladiator hurled at him, and once more he ducked behind his shield as the Mamluk raised his bow; a draw-shot, not giving himself the time to aim; the arrow barely nicked the edge of the shield, and the Gladiator rose up again, hurling a third plumbatae at his adversary.

The Mamluk snarled in anger as he felt a bite in his left arm, and looked to see the dart had struck home just above his bicep, puncturing the chainmail; he wouldn't be able to hold his bow steady now even if he had time for another shot; the pain of flexing his arm to hold the bow steady while notching an arrow would ruin his shot.

Dropping his bow and throwing off his quiver to keep it out of the way, he went back for his weapons, slipping his sword into the empty holster on his belt and grabbing his cavalry lance, turning just in time to see the Gladiator running at him, his shield slung over his back and his hands now carrying a trident and a... fishing net? He held his lance forward, and thrust at the Gladiator as he neared, but his opponent easily dodged the lance, bashed it aside with his fist and thrust his Trident forward.

The weapon met the laced steel plates on the chest of the armour, but the barbed point did not go through; the lamellar vest held, and the Mamluk retaliated with a sweep of his lance, bashing the gladiator in the shoulder with the shaft, staggering him slightly. The Mamluk sprang back and thrust his weapon forward once the Gladiator was just inside optimal reach.

Barely managing to bring his net up in time, the Gladiator tangled the weapon in the net, twisted it and then ripped the weapon out of the Mamluk's hand. He thrust for his opponent again but the Arabic ran backwards out of reach of the trident, narrowly evading a deathblow as he turned and hurried back for his shield, picking it up and drawing his sabre, facing the Gladiator again. The Gladiator made a stab for the Mamluk, a thrust which was blocked by his shield, but the Gladiator followed it up with a swing of his net, which entangled the sword, and the Mamluk was forced to grip his sword as tight as he could to keep it from getting pulled out of his hand.

The Gladiator thrust again, and this time the trident bit into the Mamluk's leg; he growled in pain, and in a desperate move, launched himself forward, forcing the trident in deeper but also pushing it back against the Gladiator's hand, and struck him in the faceplate with his shield; the unexpected attack stunned the Gladiator and forced him to back up, the trident pulling free from the Mamluk's leg, painfully so, and the Mamluk pulling back his sword at an angle it came free of the net.

The Gladiator, after recovering from the surprise shield-bash, hurled his net at the Mamluk, who narrowly dodged it by ducking to their left, the rope and weights whirling through the air behind him, but missing him completely. The Gladiator thrust in with his trident again, this time reaching the Mamluk's stomach, but once again the Lamellar vest saved the Arabic warrior; he felt a bite from one of the barbs into his flesh, but far from lethal, and with a swing of his shield, he bashed the weapon aside, towards his right, on the opposite side of which hand the Gladiator held his trident, and stepped inside of its reach, thrusting with his sabre.

Unable to bring his trident back, the Gladiator could not stop the sabre, which struck the forehead of his helmet; had it been an inch lower it would've gone into his eye but the angled front of the helmet deflected the blade, and instead it scrapped across the faceplate, leaving a deep but harmless scratch in the bronze.

Dropping his trident, the gladiator grabbed the Mamluk's shield with both hands, keeping him from pulling away, and kicked him straight in the groin, sending him stumbling back and slipping his shield off of his arm, which the Gladiator promptly hurled aside, and lifted his own shield from his back and gripped it in his left hand, which also held his Cestus, and drew his Sica, holding it with his right.

The Mamluk was back on his feet, with only his sabre in hand now; he stanced himself, ready to continue the fight with the Gladiator. He may not have had his shield anymore but his armour had held out thus far; he had to hope it still would. His shield was too far away for him to hope to go grab it.

Panting and burning with adrenaline, the Gladiator charged forward, swinging his sica from the left and right in two quick motions, making the Mamluk have to back up to avoid the blade before he rushed in, landing a grazing slash on his opponents' flank but was stopped by the Gladiator bringing his shield around, and stabbing with his Sica, grazing the Mamluk's shoulder. The two exchanged several sword-blows, but the Gladiator's shield was a real problem; it left few openings for the Mamluk to exploit, and even less were available by way of trying to make the Gladiator drop it; both of his arms were covered by chainmail and bronze-plated manacles.

The Mamluk was starting to tire, until the Gladiator shield-bashed him and made him drop his sword, and then came the Sica, slashing right for his sword arm. Miraculously, the chainmail kept his arm from being amputated, but it was painful enough for him to drop his sword. The sabre hit the ground, and the Mamluk backed up. He turned to try to go for his last weapon, but the Gladiator, not intent on letting him get away this time, threw his shield at him.

With a clank, the Mamluk was thrown off of his feet by the force of the shield-strike, and rolled onto his back just as the Gladiator came at him. He couldn't move away in time before the Sica was stabbed down, right for his heart. But his lamellar vest saved him again; the sword point stopped short, but not for long; the Gladiator was pushing the sword deeper, trying to get his foe in the heart, the Mamluk pinned and growling in pain beneath him.

Desperately, the Mamluk reached behind him for his mace, and felt his fingers wrap around the handle; he swung it, as hard as he could with his already-hurt left hand, and bashed the Gladiator in the head, a resounding 'BONG' from it hitting his helmet echoing audibly through the arena. The impact was enough to stagger him, and the Mamluk proceeded to kick him off, and scrambled to his feet with his mace gripped in both hands.

The Gladiator turned to face him again, both of them holding their remaining weapons. The Mamluk had suffered the most damage in this fight so far, as fighting on foot was not something he was used to; he had to end this and quickly, or the Gladiator would win. He chose to wait, and let the Gladiator, with sword and cestus ready, make the next move.

And move he did; the Gladiator rushed at the Mamluk, swinging his sica from the left, before following it up with a punch from his cestus right into the Mamluk's chest; although the spikes did nothing to the battered lamellar vest, the impact was still painful, and he followed it up with another swing of his sica that went for the Mamluk's neck. He brought up his arm, the chainmail-covered limb successfully stopping the blade even though it hurt painfully when it hit, and ducked down as the Gladiator tried to swing with his cestus again, bashing the Gladiator in his hip with the mace's pommel, and hurling himself at the Gladiator's thighs, tripping him.

The warrior face-planted into the dirt, getting a helmet full of sand; he spat out the sand as he hurried back to his feet, but when he turned, he could not see the Mamluk anywhere. Where had he gone? He lifted up his face mask to see more clearly, but didn't see the Mamluk anywhere.

Suddenly, a black orb came flying into view, and the Gladiator tried to block it with his sword, but succeeded only in having his own blade come back and hit him in the face; his face-plate had fallen back into place but the impact and unexpected attack had knocked the Gladiator down on his back. He felt someone leap on top of him, pinning down both of his shoulders with their boots, and looking through the eyeholes of his helmet, he saw the Mamluk, mace raised high.

The CRONG of the mace's first strike, followed quick CRUNCH of the mace coming down and breaking through it with the second hit was heard throughout the arena; the Gladiator's helmet did not save him on the second swing, and his skull was shattered inside the helmet by the mace's impact. The Gladiator convulsed for a moment... and then became still.

The audience was awed, and silent, as they saw this stranger had defeated the strongest gladiator in the arena. Two Roman Legionnaires opened one of the gates and came in to secure the Mamluk, but he wasn't going to have it; he picked up the Gladiator's sword and hurled it at the first Legionnaire, distracting him long enough for the Mamluk to dispatch him with a swing of his mace. The second one swung at him with his Gladius only to miss and be struck by the mace as well. Not stopping to finish them off, the Mamluk ran out of the arena through the open gate, never looking back.

Whatever would happen to him now, he had won the battle against the Gladiator, a victory the Roman people would not forget when the Mamluk armies came for them...

Winner:

**MAMLUK**

Gladiator

Trident & Net: 201

Cestus: 22

Sica: 128

Plumbatae: 98

Total: 449

Mamluk

Cavalry Lance: 62

Mace: 250

Sabre: 141

Bow & Arrow: 98

Total: 551

A fairly close matchup

Despite the advantage of location being in the favour of the Gladiator, the superior skills, armour and equipment of the Mamluk carried him to victory. The Gladiator left him bloodied and battered before the end, but he just wasn't able to overcome the lack of full protection, the hindrance of his helmet and inferior short ranged arsenal, opposed to the much greater protection of the Mamluk armour and superior power of the flanged mace, which scored the most kills of any weapon we saw.

The Mamluk won thanks to his experience fighting against the Knights during the crusades; he was already used to fighting against heavily armoured opponents, and though the Gladiator was faster than most Knights, the flanged mace was designed to crush steel armour and shield. The bronze helmet and mostly-wooden shield of the Gladiator were both nullified by the mace. In addition, his Lamellar vest protected his most vital areas, and the chainmail hauberk protected the rest. The lack of clear vision is another factor the Mamluk would've been used to exploiting fighting knights who wore thick helmets; with the right movement, it was easy for him to duck out of the Gladiator's line of sight and nail him in the blind spot. Although getting to that blind spot was a chore in an of itself.

The Gladiator winning such a high percentage was certainly a surprise, and there are times we thought he would be the one to win. But plenty of research revealed to us, our Deadliest Warrior is the Mamluk!


End file.
